Forensic Histopathologist and former Head of Pathology at KNUST and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Prof. Dr Paul Poku Sampene Ossei, has appealed to Ghana’s two leading political parties to unite in tackling the destructive impact of illegal mining, warning that the country is heading toward a major public health disaster if decisive action is not taken.
“I would have wished that the two main political parties, NDC and NPP, come together and say enough is enough,” he said on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, September 27.
He cautioned that political point-scoring and complacency will only deepen the crisis.
“Whatever it is that we are doing, whether we are downplaying the whole thing or using it as political capital, it will not help anybody. We should be very serious about it and solve this problem,” he stressed.
Prof. Sampene shared disturbing findings from his forensic work, revealing the extent to which illegal mining activities have contaminated the environment and affected maternal and child health.
“The placentas are all contaminated, polluted with heavy metals,” he explained. “I have examined over 4,000 of them from different regions in Ghana, and both the maternal side and the foetal side show these metals.”
He warned that the consequences of this contamination are already manifesting in the healthcare system.
“Do we have what it takes to even solve the kidney diseases that are coming out now? Dialysis is very expensive, and nobody gets it for free. Children are also being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. These are the realities we have to face,” he cautioned.
According to him, doctors in mining communities are increasingly reporting severe birth defects but are reluctant to speak publicly due to fear of reprisal.
“Most of them fear for their lives, but they tell me they are recording a lot of deformities in babies. This is very real,” he revealed.
Prof. Sampene further painted a grim picture of the long-term impact of exposure to toxic substances, particularly mercury, which is widely used in illegal mining.
“If the child is at risk, let us see how best we can mitigate it so that the child will survive and live a quality life one day.
“Otherwise, we will soon see people walking but with very high cognitive impairment. Mercury inhalation alone can damage the brain. We are seriously in trouble,” he warned.
