The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is demanding the immediate summoning of the board and management of the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital, along with the Ministry of Health over the alleged dumping of a patient in a bush leading to her death.
The woman is reported to have been abandoned in a bush at Gomoa Ojobi in the Central Region.
Addressing the house on Friday, June 14, Mr Ablakwa said the matter demonstrates the height of inhumanity and insisted that all stakeholders involved must be urgently summoned to address the issue.
“There is a matter that I was hit with on national television this morning, and I am sure the Majority Leader will be concerned because it happened in his constituency. It has been reported that doctors and nurses at the Winneba Government just threw out a patient who had an accident because they couldn’t locate her family.
“They just took her in an ambulance and went and dumped her in the bush, and she died after three days.
“This is the height of inhumanity and Parliament should take an interest, and we have to summon the Health Minister, the Ghana Health Service, and the board and management of the Winneba Government Hospital.
“We have to conduct an urgent probe into this matter and this negligence, abuse of the 1992 Constitution, and the gross violation of the Hippocratic oath of our doctors cannot be accepted.”
Meanwhile, The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has commenced investigations into the matter.
READ ALSO: Ghana Health Service Probes Alleged Dumping Of Patient In A Bush
A statement signed by GHS Director-General Patrick Kuma-Aboagye on Friday, June 14, said: “Upon receiving this disturbing news, it has initiated investigations into the matter to establish the authenticity or otherwise of the story in line with the existing practices in the public service to enable it to take appropriate actions.”
The GHS urged the public to be patient assuring that anyone found to be connected with this unfortunate incident will be severely dealt in accordance with provisions of the Service’s Code of Conduct.
Background
Reports indicate that the frail and immobile old woman was dumped with her wheelchair on Tuesday, June 11, 2023, at around 8:30 pm.
Both legs of the woman were in a Plaster of Paris (POP) cast as she remained motionless.
According to a police source, the victim was on admission and receiving treatment at the Winneba Trauma Hospital after being involved in an accident.
The patient had suffered not only two broken legs but also mental health issues as a consequence of the accident.
However, the hospital discharged the patient and allegedly abandoned her in a bush after failing to identify her family members.
Some community members said that even though they could not see the inscription on the ambulance due to bad visibility, they suspect the vehicle came from a health facility in Winneba.
She died on Thursday morning, and her body has been conveyed to the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital morgue.
Story By Sandra Adei Djanie