IN A DECISIVE move to protect patient welfare and comfort, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has ordered all health facilities across the country to cease the practice of charging fees for the use of hospital washrooms.
A circular dated April 16, 2025, and signed by the Acting Director-General of GHS, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, revealed that the Service’s attention had been drawn to complaints about fees being levied for washroom use at some healthcare facilities.
The directive emphasized that hospital washrooms are essential infrastructure designed to offer comfort to patients and visitors – not avenues for financial exploitation.
According to the notice, hospital washrooms must remain clean, accessible and free of charge to help reduce the risk of infections, enhance perceptions of healthcare quality and improve overall patient satisfaction.
Regional Directors have been tasked with ensuring immediate compliance, with sanctions promised for any facility heads who fail to adhere.
“Kindly bring this to the notice of Heads of facilities for strict compliance,” the statement urged.
This move has been widely applauded by patient advocacy groups and the general public, who have long argued that paying to use hospital toilets was both unfair and detrimental to the dignity and health of patients.
The Ghana Health Service has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that hospital environments remain patient-friendly, underscoring that healthcare is a right – not a privilege.
Source: Nationaltyme.com
