The late Angela
The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Services (GHS) has instituted a seven-member committee to investigate circumstances that led to the death of a 30-year-old pregnant woman, Angela Afriyie Agyemang, at the Suntreso Government Hospital in Kumasi on Monday.
The move comes shortly after the completion of an internal audit conducted by management of the health facility.
The committee, which is chaired by Dr Yeboah Awudzi, Deputy Director in-charge of Public Health, is expected to investigate allegations of undue delay, as well as demand and receipt of GH¢500 as motivation fee against some medical staff of the hospital.
Other members are Dr Frank Ankobea, President of the Ghana Medical Association; Dr Frederick Adomako Boateng, Deputy Director in-charge of Clinical Care; Rita Anafo, Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officer; Samuel Dodzi, Acting Deputy Director Administration, and Dr Alberta Britwum Nyarko, Metro Director of Health.
Dr Adomako Boateng told DAILY GUIDE that the committee would investigate all the allegations.
According to him, the committee has a two-week period within which to submit its report to the appropriate authority.
The hospital was put on spotlight following the death of the pregnant woman in what her family claims is a case of negligence by doctors at the health facility.
The family members claimed she was neglected after they failed to pay GH¢500 as motivation fee to the surgeon.
The victim’s husband, Solomon Lamo Latiff, who is a pastor of the House of Faith Ministries in Kumasi, said Angela died at the theatre of the hospital after making the said down payment as demanded by management.
The Medical Superintendent of Suntreso Government Hospital, Dr Agyarko Poku, however, dismissed the assertion, except to say that the preliminary investigation indicated the woman was delayed as the surgeon attended to an emergency situation at the only theatre of the hospital where Angela had been prepared for operation.
Management of the facility has since conducted maternal and perinatal death audits in line with administrative procedure for all government hospitals.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi