The Greater Accra Regional Health Director, Dr. Charity Sarpong, yesterday dismissed the contents of a video suggesting that staff of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, otherwise called Ridge Hospital, were harvesting human organs especially kidneys for sale in South Africa.
The video, she said, would be forwarded to the relevant authorities for investigation although the originator claimed he is domiciled in Atlanta, US.
The director said this when she led a delegation and staff from the Ridge Hospital to the residence of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, at his New Fadama residence yesterday.
She said the allegation could have been dismissed but for the fact that it borders on health.
Doctors are bound by the oath of their profession which demands that they serve all irrespective of religion or ethnic backgrounds.
It cannot be true that organs are harvested and sold the way the originator of the said video was claiming.
She entreated the Chief Imam to give the assurance of the health authorities about quality service to all Ghanaians in accordance with the tenets of the medical profession.
She said the location of the Ridge Hospital makes the Zongo communities some of its catchment areas.
“Issues raised in the video are untrue and disturbing. He created fear, panic and separation in a section of the population. We would have allowed it to go but health matters are critical. There is no iota of truth in the allegation,” she said.
She announced the soon to be established committee which would work with the Office of the National Chief Imam with a view to seeking the counsel of the latter to ensure cordiality in the relationship between the two parties.
Doctors who breach standards of the practice will lose their licence , she said, adding that there are supervisory mechanisms in place which ensure that inappropriate conduct is not condoned.
The Ridge Hospital authorities, she said, respect the convention of Muslims to have their dead released for burial without delay. She was quick to add however that procedures exist to be followed. Some youth however get rowdy even before these are exhausted.
The director therefore demanded of the youth to respect procedures, adding that the rowdy conduct of the youth sometimes should be avoided. The National Chief Imam, on his part, said that the Holy Quran demands that when allegations are made they should be investigated before action.
He acknowledged the services being rendered by the health authorities and said that there are three things which abhor delays. The time for prayers and the marriage of mature girls when the time is due are some of the issues which should not be delayed. The third he said is the non-delay of burial of dead bodies when there are no hurdles to clear. In the case of hospital authorities demanding to exhaust procedures, they should be allowed to do so.
He expressed gratitude to the team for the visit and prayed for it.
A member of the advisory board said even before yesterday’s engagement, some of them had dismissed the video as being mendacious and promised to have imams tackle it accordingly in their Friday sermons.
By A.R. Gomda