“We Pay GH¢10 A Day For A Tent” — 37 Military Hospital Visitors Beg Government For Better Shelter

A visitor at Ghana’s 37 Military Hospital has spoken out about the harsh living conditions faced by patients’ relatives who are forced to rent tents outside the facility while caring for hospitalised loved ones, pleading with the government to intervene.

“We pay GH¢10 a day to stay in this tent, yet whenever it rains, we are exposed to the rain and mosquitoes. My children and I have been here for over two months,” the woman said.

According to her, her husband was involved in an accident, requiring her to remain close to the hospital to care for him, a decision that has come with what she described as bitter experiences living outdoors with her children for weeks on end.

The struggles reflect a long-documented challenge at Ghanaian tertiary hospitals, where overcrowding and bed shortages, often referred to as the “no bed syndrome,” have historically forced patients’ relatives to squat or camp near hospital premises due to the cost and inconvenience of commuting daily.

Reports of relatives resorting to makeshift accommodation near 37 Military Hospital date back nearly a decade, highlighting a persistent gap in support infrastructure for caregivers accompanying admitted patients.

The woman appealed directly to the government to consider building proper housing facilities around the hospital to shelter visitors, sparing families like hers from enduring rain, mosquitoes, and prolonged discomfort simply to stay close to sick relatives.

Here’s a video of how she shared her problems.