Dr. Baffoe Gyan
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has rejected comedian Michael Blackson’s description of the facility as the “worst hospital in Ghana” and demanded a retraction and apology.
The hospital says the comments, made by the Ghanaian-American comedian following the death of his 83-year-old mother, have the potential to damage its reputation and do not accurately reflect its clinical standards or overall performance.
The Director of Medical Affairs at UGMC, Dr. Baffoe Gyan, said the performance of a hospital should be assessed using objective indicators, including its clinical outcomes, infrastructure and the expertise of its medical personnel. Adding that the hospital should not be tagged as the “worst” based solely on one person’s experience
“You can assess a hospital based on the hospital performance record and so to come out and say UGMC is the worst hospital, that one I disagree totally,” Dr Gyan said.
Dr. Gyan also rejected allegations that the hospital misdiagnosed or negligently treated Blackson’s mother. According to him, the Blackson’s mother was referred to UGMC from another health facility with a severe infection and spent eight weeks receiving treatment, six of which were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He said the medical team followed established treatment protocols throughout her admission.
“For diagnosis and management, 100% we did not do anything wrong,” he stated.
Dr. Gyan explained that the severe infection with which Blackson’s mother was admitted eventually led to her death.
While defending the hospital’s management of the case, he expressed condolences to the bereaved family, acknowledging the pain associated with losing a loved one despite efforts by medical professionals to save the patient.
UGMC has also confirmed that its lawyers have formally written to Blackson over his social media comments. Dr. Gyan also said the hospital is seeking a formal retraction and apology from the comedian and is awaiting his response.
“Our lawyers have written to him just for him to retract and apologise for all that he said on social media,” he said.
By Vera Owusu Sarpong