The late Angela Afriyie Agyemang
The Suntreso Hospital in Kumasi has been put on the spot with series of medical investigations by authorities at the Metro and Regional Health Directorates following the death of an expectant mother in labour at the facility on Monday.
Thirty-year-old Angela Afriyie Agyemang met her untimely death in what her family claims is a case of negligence by doctors at the health facility, as she was denied service after failing to pay GH¢500 as being a motivation fee for the surgeon.
The medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Agyarko Poku, who confirmed the death of the pregnant woman at the facility, said maternal and perinatal death audits are expected to be carried out within seven days in line with administrative procedure after informing the metro and regional directorates of the incident.
“The regional directorate is also setting up an independent body to carry out investigations into all aspects of the incident,” he told Hello FM as he refuted claims by the woman’s family that management of the facility was demanding GH¢500 before she could be attended to.
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.
However, Dr Agyarko Poku 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.
He explained that the woman rather died while en route to the theatre for operation, insisting that at no point in time did management of the facility demand money before doctors could attend to the patient, who had been given an induced drug.
But Pastor Latiff said he has no doubt her wife would have survived if she had been attended to on time, as he threatened court action against the hospital for alleged negligence.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi