BY GRACE ZIGAH
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has disclosed that doctors and other health professionals implicated in the Charles Amissah case could still face disciplinary action as institutions continue implementing recommendations contained in a committee report into the matter.
The Minister said the government remains committed to implementing the findings of the committee established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case, which became a major national issue amid concerns over Ghana’s persistent “no bed syndrome” and the management of emergency patients.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Akandoh said the various institutions involved were still working through the directives arising from the committee’s recommendations.
The committee recommended the sanction of seven health professionals including four medical doctors.
He disclosed that some institutions had already reached conclusions on the recommendations, with Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital among those that had made progress in the process.
However, he acknowledged that implementation of disciplinary recommendations had taken some time, explaining that certain cases involve legal considerations that must be addressed before final decisions are made.
“Maybe I may have to tell you that in some instances it’s not a straightforward issue, as you said. There are some legal nuances, and that’s the only thing I can add,” he said.
When asked whether health professionals who had been recommended for disciplinary action would eventually be sanctioned, the Minister gave an affirmative response.
“Why not? They are all under the laws of Ghana, and so that’s how far I can go,” he said.
Emergency healthcare reforms
The Charles Amissah case prompted government to establish a committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and make recommendations aimed at preventing similar occurrences.
Beyond possible sanctions against individuals, the committee proposed a number of reforms intended to strengthen Ghana’s emergency healthcare system.
Among the recommendations was the establishment of a national electronic emergency bed management system to provide real-time information on available beds and patients occupying emergency units.
Other proposals included compulsory triage for emergency patients, integration of the Ghana Armed Forces’ critical-care capacity into the national emergency system, and the establishment of a national emergency care fund to cover the first 24 hours of emergency treatment.
