By Nadia Ntiamoah
The President of the Ghana Medical Association, Prof. Ernest Yorke, has raised concerns over the findings and language used in the report of the committee that investigated the death of engineer Charles Amissah, arguing that the committee does not have the authority to declare health workers guilty of medical negligence.
The controversy follows the release of the report by the committee chaired by Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa, which investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of the 29-year-old Promasidor Ghana Limited engineer after a hit-and-run incident near the Circle Overpass in Accra on February 6, 2026.
The committee concluded that a breakdown in emergency medical care and delays in treatment across multiple hospitals contributed significantly to Amissah’s death.
The report also recommended disciplinary actions against some doctors and nurses cited in the matter, reigniting national debate over the long-standing “no-bed syndrome” and emergency healthcare challenges.
Four female medical officers were indicted for alleged dereliction of duties. In addition, three other female health professionals were also found wanting in the unfortunate passing of Charles Amissah. The affected officers are Dr Aida Druante, Dr Genevieve Adjah, Joy Daisy Nelson and Salamatu Alhassan, of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). Also mentioned are Dr Nina Naomin Eyram and Akosua B. Turkson of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH) Ridge, as well as Dr Anne-Marie Kudowo of the Police Hospital.
The findings of the three-member committee, chaired by renowned pathologist Prof Agyeman Badu Akosa, reconstructed the final 118 minutes of Amissah’s life, revealing how the young engineer was transferred between multiple health facilities without receiving definitive emergency treatment after a hit-and-run accident near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Overpass in Accra on February 6, 2026.
However, speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View programme on Monday, May 11, Prof. Yorke cautioned against the use of terms such as “medical negligence,” insisting that the investigative committee was neither a judicial nor quasi-judicial body and therefore lacked the legal mandate to pronounce health professionals guilty.
According to him, while the committee may identify concerns or possible breaches of professional conduct, the responsibility for determining guilt rests solely with legally mandated disciplinary and regulatory institutions such as the Medical and Dental Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
“For me, I probably wouldn’t have used that word. An investigative committee of that nature is not a judicial or quasi-judicial committee, so they cannot pronounce on the guilt or otherwise of persons involved,” Prof. Yorke stated.
He explained that disciplinary processes within professional medical bodies involve formal procedures including the presentation of evidence, witness testimonies, cross-examinations, legal representation, and opportunities for appeal before any individual can officially be found guilty of misconduct.
Prof. Yorke, who disclosed that he had served on the disciplinary committee of the Medical and Dental Council for over 13 years, said such proceedings are conducted with strict adherence to due process and fairness.
“I have served on the disciplinary committee of the Medical and Dental Council for over 13 years, and they come with their lawyers. We take evidence, witness statements, cross-examine, and even people appeal decisions,” he explained.
The GMA President further argued that the public reaction and intense debate generated by the report may partly be due to the manner in which the findings were presented to the public.
The Charles Amissah case has become one of Ghana’s most discussed healthcare controversies in recent years after reports emerged that the young engineer was transferred between several hospitals without receiving timely definitive treatment before dying nearly two hours after the accident.
The Akosa Committee’s report has already triggered disciplinary recommendations against several health workers and prompted the Ministry of Health to announce broader reforms aimed at improving emergency healthcare delivery across the country.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Medical Association has maintained that while accountability is necessary, disciplinary decisions must follow legally established procedures to guarantee fairness and professional justice for all health workers involved.
