Management of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, also known as Ridge Hospital has released the medical report of a patient who died while receiving treatment at the facility.
The patient, 47-year-old Esther Sosuh died on the evening of June 25, 2020. The hospital decided to probe the circumstances under which the patient died after her husband, Emmanuel Kuto, the Director of the Ghana Institute of Languages, accused the hospital of “impunity” and “total disregard for accountability.”
According to the report sighted by Hbtvghana.com, “the above-named patient(Esther Sosuh) was first seen at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH) on the 9th of June, 2020, where she reported with complaints of an anterior abdominal wall swelling”.
The report indicates that after “a thourough assessment and examination, a diagnosis of a Reducible Epigastic Hernia was made. She was then worked up for surgery and made to do various investigations and subsequently referred to see the anesthesia team for review and clearance for surgery. She reported back on the 16th of June, 2020, having been cleared by the anesthesia team for surgery. She was then booked to have an elective hernia repair on 22nd June, 2020 to be admitted the day before surgery .”
According to the Ridge Hospital, she underwent succesfull surgeryon June 22,2020, after which she was transferred to the recovery ward “where she spent 2hours under strict monitoring. After spending 2hours in the recovery ward , she was eventually transferred to the Surgical ward.” The Hospital indicates that, “on arrival to the Surgical ward, her vital signs were checked and recorded and they were normal. the Patient was seen on the morning of Tuesday 23rd June, 2020, where she complained of pain at the incision site. She was examined and put on analgesia(pain relief)… She was encouraged to mobilize and to start feeding.”
The report however indicated that, “at around 5pm on Tuesday, 23rd June, 2020, the patient fell in the washroom whilst using the toilet and was assisted and examined by doctors and nurses on the ward and an impression of Pulmonary embolism was formed. She was given SC clexane 80mg and put on TED stockings”.
The hospital further explained that, Esther Sosuh, “was seen in bed complaining of severe central chest pain, sweating, and [being] restless on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. She was subsequently examined and “a chest X-ray, Electrocardiography, D-Dimer Troponins 1 and 2 were done and Physician Specialist was requested to review her“.
Results from the Electrocardiography done had features suggestive of Myocardial Infarction, for which she was put on medication, the report said. “At 11:45pm of 24th June 2020 [the] patient suddenly became severely dyspneic and restless. The night doctors were called to see the patient who they assessed and commenced resuscitation immediately but was unsuccessful and patient declared clinically dead at 12:10am on Thursday, 25th June 2020,” the report concluded.
By Delia