Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has given a one-week deadline to a newly formed committee to investigate the recent assault on nurses and other medical staff at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge).
The directive comes after a viral video showed a violent clash between relatives of a patient and health professionals at the hospital’s emergency unit, raising serious concerns about the safety of frontline workers.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, August 19, after a meeting with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Minister said he had already visited the hospital to reassure staff of government’s support.
“I was at the hospital yesterday and interacted with the health workers. One of the reasons I went there was to reassure them of our commitment and encourage them to return to the wards. They were demoralised, so I had to assure them of a thorough investigation. After my visit, we constituted a committee to investigate the matter within a week, after which the law will take its course,” he explained.
Meanwhile, discussions with GIZ centered on expanding cooperation in health infrastructure, strengthening regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and upgrading Ghana’s health systems.
