Management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has denied reports that some critical surgeries were cancelled on Monday, April 29 due to power outages bedeviling the facility in recent times.

Reports emerged in the media on Monday that patients requiring critical medical procedures were returned to their wards due to the power outages popularly known as ‘dumsor.’

But the hospital’s management in a press statement, described such reports as misleading and indicated that Monday’s reports were due to a low current situation that happened at the facility and lasted about 45 minutes.

The statement clarified that “two cases at the Department of Surgery were returned to the ward at the end of the day on account of limited space in the recovery ward and not because of power outage. The rest of the other theatres spread across the hospital all carried out their surgeries as scheduled.”

The hospital also appealed to the public “to exercise great circumspection in publishing stories that are not fully verified because they undermine public confidence and create unnecessary fear and discomfort among our patients.”

Below is the full statement.

SUBJECT: SURGERIES HAVE NOT BEEN CANCELLED IN KORLE BU
RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

This is to correct a misleading report in sections of the media that claims that surgeries in Korle Bu were cancelled as a result of power outage on Monday, April 29, 2024 and the standby generator was not in use.

The facts therefore are as follows;

1. Work started on all elective cases in our theatres and the operations proceeded as scheduled.

2. However, we experienced low current for about 45 minutes. In the face of the low current that emanated from a problem at one of the substations of ECG, our functional standby generators came on stream and provided power for work to continue until the problem was resolved.

3. Two cases at the Department of Surgery were returned to the ward at the end of the day on account of limited space in the recovery ward and not because of power outage. The rest of the other theatres spread across the hospital all carried out their surgeries as scheduled.

4. As a leading national referral hospital, we wish to assure our patients and the general public that we prioritize their care and will continue to work to provide excellent services to address their health needs.

5. We wish to appeal to the media to exercise great circumspection in publishing stories that are not fully verified because they undermine public confidence and create unnecessary fear and discomfort among our patients.

Thank you.