Questions
The Questions Parents Actually Ask
Thirteen of them, answered by the people who get asked them — and none of the answers are “please contact us”.
Coming in
Do I need a referral letter?
No. You can ring the paediatric desk yourself and describe what is worrying you, and they will book your child with the right clinic. A letter from another doctor is useful if you have one, but it has never been a condition of being seen here.
How long will I wait for an appointment?
A general paediatric clinic is usually within three working days. Sub-speciality clinics run weekly, so cardiology, neurology, respiratory and endocrine are typically within eight days. If what you describe should not wait that long, the desk will say so and find you something sooner.
When should I skip the appointment and just come in?
Difficulty breathing, a fit that does not stop, a baby under three months with a fever, a rash that does not fade under a glass, unusual drowsiness, or any moment where your instinct says this is not right. Come straight to Volta Street. The children's emergency department never closes and never turns anybody away.
What are your opening hours?
Consultant clinics run 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm on Saturday. Immunisation and well-child checks are Tuesday and Thursday mornings, walk-in. The emergency department is open every hour of every day, including public holidays.
If your child is admitted
Can I stay with my child overnight?
Yes, and we would rather you did. There is a parent bed beside every cot on every ward including the neonatal unit. Nobody has ever been asked to leave their child here at the end of visiting hours, and that is not going to change.
Can brothers and sisters visit?
Yes, between 10am and 7pm, as long as they are well themselves. During an outbreak on the ward we sometimes restrict it — the ward sister will tell you the same day rather than turning somebody away at the door.
What about food and school?
Meals are included for the child and available at cost for one parent. For a stay longer than a week the play and education team arranges schoolwork with your child's own school, so nobody comes back three weeks behind.
Will I be there when the doctors discuss my child?
Yes. The consultant ward round happens at your child's bedside and you are part of it. If you have to step out, ask the nurse to hold the round for you — they will.
Fees, cover and records
Do you take NHIS?
Yes, for outpatient paediatrics, immunisation, emergency attendance and inpatient stays. Bring the card. If it has lapsed we will still see your child and sort the paperwork afterwards rather than at the door.
Which insurers do you settle with directly?
Nationwide, Acacia, GLICO Health, Apex, Metropolitan and Cosmopolitan, plus most corporate and school schemes. You sign one form on arrival and pay nothing on the day.
What if we cannot afford the bill?
No child is turned away from the emergency department for money, ever. If a family cannot meet a bill, the ward sister refers it to the hospital's assistance fund on the day rather than at discharge, and instalments over three months are available on anything above GHS 3,000 without interest.
Can I get a copy of my child's notes?
Yes, and you do not have to give a reason. Ask at the records desk and a copy is with you within three working days, free the first time. Results are also explained in plain words and written down before you go home.
How do I complain?
Write to the clinical quality lead, or ask any nurse for the form. Complaints go to a clinician rather than to a marketing inbox, you get an acknowledgement within two working days and a written answer within fifteen, and the numbers appear in the annual report.
Still not answered?
Ring the paediatric desk between 7am and 8pm, or come straight in if it cannot wait. Nobody here minds being asked something twice.
Our Promise
Four Things We Will Not Compromise On
Open Every Hour
A consultant paediatrician physically present from eight in the morning until midnight, and on call in the building overnight. Every night.
One Team, One File
Three specialities in one morning rather than three appointments in three months — and one set of notes that all of them write in.
Parents Stay
A parent bed beside every cot on every ward. Nobody has ever been asked to leave their child here at visiting time.
Said Plainly
Every result explained in words you can repeat to somebody else, and written down before you go home. Acronyms are our problem, not yours.
Parent Stories
What Families Say After They Go Home
My daughter was admitted at two in the morning and somebody rang me at six to say exactly what had happened and what would happen next. Nobody had ever done that before.
Adzo Fiadzo
Adenta, Accra
They let me stay in the room the whole night. The nurse explained the monitor to me twice without once making me feel stupid for asking.
Esi Amponsah
Tema
Dr Quarshie told me what she did not know as clearly as what she did. I have never been so reassured by somebody admitting the limits of a test.
Nii Armah Tetteh
East Legon, Accra
Always Within Reach
Paediatric Care That's Always Within Reach
Book a consultation, speak with our team, or head to us in an emergency. Our support is responsive, informed and continuous — and somebody answers the phone at three in the morning.
