The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Jefferson Asare, has expressed his disappointment with the investigative committee’s report on the Ridge Hospital incident.
He believes the committee strayed from the terms of reference provided by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.
According to Mr Asare, Ralph Saint Williams allegedly attacked a nurse, Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, who was officially diagnosed with polycontusion, a condition involving multiple bruises.
Despite this, the committee, which the Health Minister established, released its findings on Wednesday, August 27, concluding that there was no medical evidence of a shoulder dislocation or fracture.
Mr. Asare called the findings “unfortunate,” claiming the committee did not interview the people directly involved in the incident. He stated that the committee failed to engage with the medical doctor who diagnosed the nurse. “The committee did not interview those they were supposed to interview. The doctor who diagnosed the nurse was not interviewed by the committee,” he said during an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM.
The chairman emphasised that the committee had a specific mandate to establish if the nurse was assaulted.
He argued that the first person they should have interviewed was the medical doctor who diagnosed her, but they did not. He also pointed out that the nurse never claimed she had a dislocation or fracture. “The dislocation we spoke about or referred to was confirmed to us by the medical director of Ridge, and so are they trying to undermine the credibility and professional evaluation of the medical director?” he asked.
He also addressed the committee’s claim of a lack of video footage. He noted that there were no CCTV cameras in the trauma area where the incident occurred, so the committee could not rely on that. He added that the only footage available was what Ralph recorded himself, and it was unlikely that he would record himself assaulting the nurse.
“What has happened is unfortunate, and we should not allow that to happen. It wouldn’t help us,” Asare stated. He also pointed out that the committee admitted there were verbal altercations, which he considered a form of assault.
“Why do they want to do that? The committee should not twist the facts,” he said. “The Ministry has set its own verdict, investigated itself, and come out with a report with twisted facts. We cannot accept this flawed report.”
Mr. Asare believes the association should have had a representative on the committee to ensure fairness.
He added that this situation has demoralized nurses and is “very risky for the country.” He concluded by noting that the nurse is still in the hospital due to the incident, making the report’s release especially unfortunate.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
