Public Accounts Committee donates GH₵33,000 to Pantang Hospital

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has donated GH₵33,000 to Pantang Hospital to support the treatment of abandoned and vulnerable patients. PAC Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare announced the donation, which is specifically intended to offset medical debts incurred by individuals found on the streets and brought to the facility for psychiatric care. The contribution aims to provide immediate financial relief to the psychiatric institution as it manages the costs of patients without identified families or guardians.

The donation follows a recent session where hospital management appeared before the committee to discuss findings from the Auditor-General’s report. During the proceedings, hospital officials revealed that the facility frequently waives medical costs for patients who are unable to pay. In response to these persistent financial challenges, the PAC leadership directed that the donated funds be used to clear the outstanding debts of these vulnerable persons, ensuring the hospital can continue its mission of providing mental healthcare.

While expressing gratitude for the intervention, officials at Pantang Hospital highlighted the significant logistical and financial strain caused by the increasing number of abandoned patients. They cautioned the general public against the practice of dropping off individuals with mental health conditions at the hospital gates without proper coordination. Hospital management emphasized that such uncoordinated actions complicate the treatment process and overstretch the facility’s limited resources and staffing.

To ensure better management of these cases, the hospital authorities advised the public and law enforcement to involve social welfare officers when dealing with homeless individuals requiring psychiatric attention. This coordinated approach is necessary to help identify families and secure state support for long-term care, rather than leaving the hospital to bear the full burden of uncompensated medical services. The PAC's gesture is seen as a call for more structured institutional support for mental health facilities across the country.