Korle Bu contracts Merchant Bank for revenue collection

Page 48: Daily Graphic, December 23, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has engaged the services of Merchant Bank to collect revenue on its behalf at the hospital.
The exercise, which is currently on a pilot basis, covers the Magnetic Resonance Imaging and CT Scan Unit of the hospital.
When proven to be successful, the management would spread the exercise to all departments and units of the hospital.
The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the move was to address the problem of pilfering and risk of carrying cash to the bank every day.
He said it was also to address the problem of delays faced by clients in paying cash to the hospital staff and also the issue of “no receipts” as often told the clients by some of the revenue collectors.
He said the bank was in its third week of revenue collection at the hospital and everything seemed to be going well so far.
As to what happens when the bank staff closed at 5 pm, Mr Salifu said the MRI and CT Scan unit also closed at 5 p.m.
He, however, said the hospital would make alternative arrangements when the MRI and CT Scan Unit begin to operate on a 24-hour basis.
Mr Salifu said the hospital was hopeful that the bank’s operation would soon cover all the departments and units of the hospital.
According to him, revenue collection at the hospital had gone low and although the National Health Insurance Scheme could be a contributory factor, the management did not want to take chances.