The Greater Accra Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Jefferson Asare, has strongly criticised the committee report on the alleged assault of a nurse at the Ridge Hospital Trauma Centre, describing it as “a raw deal” for health workers.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Mr. Asare said both the Health Ministry and the committee had failed health workers with their findings.
“We are very disappointed because what the committee brought out and the mandate given them were not the same. This is very demoralising for all health workers,” he said.
According to him, the committee was tasked to investigate whether or not an assault occurred, but “they didn’t even address that directly.”
Mr. Asare further alleged that the committee was not transparent in its work.
“It is as if the Ministry sat down and set up their own committee amongst themselves. That will never make the results transparent,” he argued.
He raised concerns about the nurse, Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, who reportedly sustained a hand injury during the incident.
“The nurse developed a fracture as confirmed by the doctor. But the committee didn’t even invite that doctor, who signed the medical report, to speak. How can you leave out the person with first-hand information?” he questioned.
Mr. Asare also criticised the committee for relying solely on video footage provided by Mr. Ralph St. Williams, the accused, since the trauma centre itself had no CCTV cameras.
“The committee has a lot of questions to answer. Are they telling us the doctor who diagnosed the bruises and swelling didn’t know his job?” he asked.
Meanwhile, the committee’s final report, presented to Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh on Wednesday, stated that while video footage and eyewitness accounts confirmed a heated verbal exchange between Mr. St. Williams and hospital staff, there was “no evidence of physical assault.”
The report also highlighted broader systemic problems at the facility, including inadequate staffing, weak security measures, and malfunctioning diagnostic equipment.
It further indicated that although the nurse later complained of pain in her left hand, medical checks showed no fracture or dislocation. She was treated with pain medication and offered psychological support.
But Mr. Asare insists the report ignored crucial medical evidence and has left nurses across the country feeling unsafe and unprotected.
“If the Ministry that oversees us wants to do things wrongly, it won’t help anyone. This is very sad,” he lamented.
Source: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy
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