The Ministry of Health has dismissed allegations that the committee investigating the alleged assault at Ridge Hospital failed to interview the doctor who first assessed the injured nurse at the center of the controversy.
The committee’s final report, presented to Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, concluded that while no physical assault occurred, a verbal altercation took place between Mr. Ralph St. Williams, the man at the center of the incident, and hospital staff.
The report also highlighted severe staffing shortages, non-functional diagnostic equipment, and inadequate security at the Emergency Department of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.
The nurse, Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, had reported injuries to her left hand the day after the incident. However, Medical records indicated no fracture or dislocation, and she was treated with pain medication and psychological support.
The Greater Accra Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Jefferson Asare, however, maintained that a diagnosis of polycontusion, a condition involving multiple bruises, swelling, and redness, was made by the attending physician, not by the nurse herself or hospital administrators.
He insisted that excluding that physician from the interview process compromised the integrity of the report.
But the Ministry insists the doctor in question was consulted, and that the committee’s recommendations, ranging from increased staffing to improved security and diagnostic infrastructure, are intended to address longstanding systemic weaknesses, not to settle individual disputes.
Responding to claims by Asare, in an interview on Channel One TV’s Point of View on Wednesday, August 27, the Ministry’s spokesperson and member of the investigative committee, Tony Goodman, strongly refuted the assertions.
“That is not correct. We have spoken with everybody, including the doctor who saw the lady. He is a specialist, and this committee’s work cannot be rubbished,” Mr. Goodman stated.
Mr. Goodman added that the committee’s process was thorough, inclusive, and focused not on assigning blame, but on identifying ways to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system.
“This is an extensive work that has been done. We are not looking at who is at fault… We are looking at how best we can strengthen our system,” he said.
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Ridge assault: Investigative committee ignored doctor who first treated victim – GRNMA
