For six months, Emmanuel Etroo has watched life pass him by from a hospital bed at Effia-Nkwanta Government Hospital. The February 15, 2026 began like any other day for the rubber tapper.
He was riding his motorbike at Ewusiejoe along the Takoradi-Agona road when, in a matter of seconds, a Sprinter bus crashed into him.
The impact left his right foot severely injured and plunged him into a painful journey of surgeries, hospital bills and uncertainty about his future. Four surgeries later, Emmanuel was discharged and asked to prepare for a fifth operation.
But there was one major obstacle — money. With the cost of his treatment mounting, Emmanuel and his family could no longer raise the funds needed to settle his hospital bills and finance the next surgery.
His condition meant that the hospital bed, which should have been a temporary stop on his journey to recovery, became his home for months. Then came an unexpected lifeline.
A video recorded by a nursing official at the hospital, Linda Otto, appealing for public support for Emmanuel was circulated widely on social media.
The video eventually caught the attention of the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson.
Moved by Emmanuel’s plight, Mr Nelson visited the hospital and offered to settle the outstanding medical bills.
He paid GH¢39,110 owed by Emmanuel to Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital and further pledged to finance his fifth surgery, estimated at GH¢11,000. For Emmanuel, the intervention could mean more than the settlement of a hospital bill. It could finally bring an end to months of uncertainty and move him closer to reclaiming the life he knew before the accident.
The Minister’s intervention, however, extended beyond Emmanuel. During the visit, Regional Minister Nelson also presented an undisclosed amount of money to male patients at the Male Orthopaedic Ward to cushion them against the financial burden of their medical treatment.
The gesture brought a measure of relief to patients who, like Emmanuel, have found themselves battling not only illness and injury, but also the rising cost of healthcare. For the medical staff at Effia-Nkwanta, the support was also a welcome intervention.
Alfred Acquah Asiedu, the Shift-In-Charge of the Male Surgical Ward, speaking on behalf of his colleagues and Emmanuel’s family, expressed gratitude to the Regional Minister for responding to the appeal and helping to ease the burden on the patients.
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