The acting Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr. Frank Owusu Sekyere, has issued a stern warning against the theft of critical medical equipment at the facility.
He revealed that the hospital has been facing incidents where thieves cut and steal copper pipes supplying oxygen to patients in various wards, posing a serious threat to healthcare delivery.
Dr. Sekyere made these remarks during a media tour and inspection of ongoing construction works at the hospital on Monday.
“…People cut part of the copper pipes, so imagine a patient is on oxygen, and all of a sudden, it stops because somebody has gone to cut it,” he said.
He disclosed that hospital authorities recently apprehended individuals attempting to steal cables from the premises, adding that the case had been reported to the Korle Bu Police Station for further investigations and possible prosecution.
Dr. Sekyere expressed concern over the financial burden these thefts place on the hospital.
“The current replacement of stolen copper pipes is costing the institution approximately GH₵400,000, even though perpetrators might sell these materials for as little as GH₵50 as scrap,” he noted.
“It is ridiculously expensive trying to fix these copper pipes. Somebody takes a chunk of it for scrap, and we are paying through our noses just to have it fixed.”
To curb the menace, he said management had intensified surveillance and was in the advanced stages of procuring private security services to complement the institution’s internal security personnel.
The facility has also installed CCTV cameras, though Dr. Sekyere admitted that monitoring in real time remains a challenge.
“We have had to resort to CCTV, but these are not monitored in real time. So, if something happens, you probably may have an idea who did it, but the harm has already been caused,” he explained.
He urged the public, particularly scrap dealers, to be vigilant and report suspicious individuals attempting to sell hospital equipment, emphasizing the potentially devastating impact of such thefts on patient care.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Sekyere assured that Korle Bu has an oxygen plant with the capacity to serve patients.
“Oxygen, of course, may have its own challenges every now and then, but with the services and maintenance, we should be able to put to rest the issue of oxygen,” he said.
As part of the tour, the team visited the renovation site of the Maternity Block, Ward E, the Orthopaedic Ward (Ward H), the Oxygen Plant, and the KBTH perimeter wall, which is under construction to enhance security.
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