The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it is investigating a situation where a patient was allegedly abandoned in a bush at Gomoa Ojobi in the Central Region leading to her death.
This follows media report which emerged last Thursday that a patient allegedly abandoned in a bush by the Winneba Government Hospital has tragically died.
The patient was reportedly left without any medical assistance or support in a news bulletin aired by Accra-based UTV, where the deceased, an elderly woman, was part of the patients who were taken to the Winneba Government Hospital from a vehicle accident on the Gomoa Ojobi road.
The report said Dr George Prah, the Medical Superintendent at the Winneba Government Hospital, who confirmed the incident explained that the patient was brought to the hospital about two months ago, adding that no one came to the clinic as a relative to cater for her and she suffered some injuries to her head.
He further explained that the patient’s injury to the head made her scream at night.
This led the Hospital’s authorities to eject her and abandoned her in a bush on the Gomoa Ojobi road.
However, the Ghana Health Service reacting to the story said in a statement that “The attention of leadership of the Ghana Health Service has been drawn to a media story about a patient allegedly abandoned in a bush at Gomoa Ojobi in the Central Region”.
The Director General of GHS, Dr Patrick Kumah Aboagye in the statement explained “According to the story, it is alleged that the said patient was on admission at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba and after her relatives had failed to show up, she was conveyed in the hospital’s ambulance and left in a wheelchair at Ojobi where she claimed to be her hometown, and was later found dead”
“The Service upon receiving this disturbing news, has initiated investigations into the matter to establish the authenticity or otherwise of the story in line with the existing practices in the public service to enable it to take appropriate action(s).
“The Service wishes to appeal to the general public to be patient as anyone found to be connected with this unfortunate incident will be severely dealt with in line with the provisions of the Service’s Code of Conduct,” the statement said.
-BY Daniel Bampoe