Award-winning Ghanaian investigative journalist Edward Adeti has announced the release of an undercover investigative documentary into alleged illegal billing practices and other disturbing happenings at the Upper East Regional Hospital.
The documentary is scheduled to be released on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
In a strongly worded public statement ahead of the release, Adeti described the regional referral hospital as a place plagued by “a lot of mess,” alleging that insured patients were being charged for services already covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“I have completed an undercover investigation into those claims. Trust me, the findings will shock you,” he stated.
According to him, the investigation uncovered a system where “insured patients are massively billed for services that are already covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and are given ghost receipts.”
Adeti linked his renewed interest in the hospital to the death of a 13-year-old boy, Joseph, in November 2025. He said relatives and a hospital staff member alleged the boy died following an unexplained delay at the hospital’s laboratory.
“One of the boy’s relatives told me he died because of an unexplained delay that took a whole day at the hospital’s laboratory,” Adeti revealed.
“A member of the hospital’s staff confirmed what the boy’s relative said— that the boy would have survived had the laboratory not been sluggish,” he added.
The investigative journalist also disclosed that several residents had complained to him about alleged illegal charges at the hospital, prompting the undercover operation.
He further stated that officials of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) had assured him that patients who paid illegally for NHIS-covered services would be refunded, provided they could produce evidence of payment.
“They gave a very strong assurance that all the payments you had made for all the NHIS-covered services you accessed at the hospital would be retrieved and refunded to you,” he said.
Adeti urged affected patients to keep their receipts safe while cautioning the public against confronting hospital staff.
“But please, don’t go there to confront any staff for your monies. No confrontation. No stampede,” he advised.
The upcoming documentary is expected to trigger renewed public debate about healthcare accountability, patient safety and corruption within Ghana’s health sector, particularly in public hospitals serving vulnerable populations.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
