The Ministry of Health has rejected claims that the committee investigating the alleged assault on a nurse at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge) overlooked the testimony of the doctor who first assessed her.
The final report, submitted to Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, concluded that while there was video evidence and witnesses to a verbal altercation between Mr. Ralph St. Williams and hospital staff, it did not receive any such evidence or witness to allegations of physical assault.
It also highlighted systemic challenges at the facility, including staff shortages, inadequate security, and faulty diagnostic equipment.
The nurse at the centre of the incident, Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, reported injuries to her left hand the following day, though medical records revealed no fracture or dislocation. She was treated with pain relief and psychological support.
However, the Greater Accra Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Jefferson Asare, argued that a diagnosis of polycontusion—multiple bruises, swelling, and redness—was made by the attending physician.
He insisted that excluding this physician from the committee’s interviews compromised the integrity of the findings.
The Ministry has dismissed that concern, stressing that the doctor in question was in fact consulted during the probe.
“That is not correct. We have spoken with everybody, including the doctor who saw the lady. He is a specialist, and this committee’s work cannot be rubbished,” the Ministry’s spokesperson and member of the committee, Tony Goodman, stated during an interview on Channel One TV on Wednesday, August 27.
Mr Goodman further defended the process as comprehensive and fair, explaining that the committee’s recommendations are aimed at addressing systemic weaknesses rather than apportioning blame.
“This is an extensive work that has been done. We are not looking at who is at fault… We are looking at how best we can strengthen our system,” he emphasised.
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