Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has recounted the events surrounding a recent confrontation at the Ridge Hospital, emphasising the need for enhanced security in healthcare facilities and respect for medical professionals.
Speaking during an appearance on Hot Issues with Keminni Amanor, as monitored by MyNewsGh.com, the Minister said he first picked up reports of the incident over the weekend.
“On Monday morning, I started getting the signals from the public. So I sent a delegation to Ridge Hospital to ascertain the situation.
“When the delegation came back to the ministry and they were debriefing me, the feedback was that the health professionals were insecure.
“They felt they were panicking and therefore the recommendation was that if I can go there and give them some kind of reassurance. So I did,” he explained.
Mr. Akandoh said his visit gave him the opportunity to see the victims directly and also hold a closed-door meeting with health officials to address their concerns.
“Some of the issues that came up were the internal security of the place, how we can also link up with the police to take care of the security of the place, the staffing issues and what have you.
“So it required that I had to constitute a committee to look at the issues. So I constituted a committee of about five people, a medical doctor, a nurse, HR person, an auditor and a legal person,” he noted.
He clarified that the committee’s mandate was not only to investigate the immediate incident but also to review the broader security and safety challenges facing the hospital.
After interacting with the staff, the Minister addressed the media, condemning the assault on health workers.
“Let me use this opportunity to reiterate that irrespective of the provocation at any health facility, nobody, absolutely nobody has the right to physically attack any health professional in this country. It’s not a matter of persuasion. That must be made clear,” he stressed.
