Health Ministry Orders Disciplinary Action Against 7 Doctors Over Patient Death Investigation

The Ministry of Health has directed disciplinary action against seven health professionals from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and Police Hospital following an investigation into the death of a road accident victim.

The affected medical officers include Dr Aida Druante, Dr Genevieve Adjah, Joy Daisy Nelson, and Salamatu Alhassan of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital; Dr Nina Naomin Eyram and Akosua B. Turkson of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital; and Dr Anne-Marie Kudowo of the Police Hospital.

They are being sanctioned over their roles in the treatment of Charles Amissah, an engineer with Promasidor in Accra, who died after being involved in a hit-and-run accident in February this year.

Investigation findings

A committee chaired by renowned pathologist and former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Agyeman Badu Akosa, found that Mr Amissah did not die instantly from his injuries, but from prolonged and preventable blood loss due to failures in emergency medical care.

The report concluded that the patient was alive when he was taken through multiple health facilities, but did not receive timely life-saving interventions such as bleeding control, intravenous fluids, or blood transfusion.

It described the cause of death as a “slow death from medical neglect,” noting that the fatal injury—a severe laceration to the upper arm involving major blood vessels—was survivable with prompt emergency treatment.

Ministry response and reforms

At a briefing in Accra on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said the government would ensure accountability while also implementing broader reforms to strengthen emergency care systems.

He stressed the need to prevent avoidable deaths and announced plans to roll out a national electronic bed management system to improve patient allocation and reduce delays in treatment.

The minister also confirmed that the Ghana Armed Forces Critical Care and Emergency Hospital would be opened for public use as part of efforts to expand emergency healthcare capacity.

Key recommendations

The committee further recommended sweeping reforms, including:

• Mandatory immediate treatment of all emergency patients before referral
• Establishment of a national emergency care fund to ensure no patient is delayed over payment
• Improved coordination across hospitals to stabilise patients before transfer
• Stronger enforcement mechanisms to ensure implementation of reforms

Prof. Akosa emphasised that the findings revealed systemic weaknesses in emergency care delivery and called for urgent action to prevent similar deaths in the future.

The committee warned that without effective implementation, the report’s recommendations risk being ignored, despite their potential to significantly improve survival outcomes in emergency situations.