Dr Eli Atikpui (middle) addressing the media. With him are professor Paul Nyame , Chairman of the council and Dr Divine Banyubala, Deputy Registrar of the council
The Medical and Dental Council has confirmed the death of two persons in the hands of Dr. Dominic Obeng of Obengfo Hospital at Weija.
According to the Registrar and Executive Director of the Medical and Dental Council, Eli Kwasi Atikpui, formal complaints with evidence received by the council have revealed the death of two persons including a male patient at the Obengfo Hospital.
He said, “Even though we had several complaints from families of other victims, when we asked them to bring evidence, they went without returning to the council.”
Dr Atikpui confirms that the death of Stacy Offei-Darko, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship Innovations Programme (NEIP), adds up to three, but since the council has not received any official complaint from the family, it cannot be put on record.
He noted that the death of the two individuals was officially reported to the council on June 14, 2013.
He revealed this at a press conference organised to update the public on the activities of Dr Dominic Obeng-Andoh at the council’s conference room in Accra.
The registrar confirmed that per their records, Dr Obeng–Andoh has no specialist qualification registered with the council that entitles him to undertake Liposuction and fat transfer surgery in Ghana.
He said Dr Dominic Obeng graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University Science and Technology, School of Medical Sciences (KNUST-SMS) on December 4, 1997.
Following his housemanship, Dr Obeng was permanently registered with the council in 2000.
Revoke of Licence
He said in 2003, Dr Obeng and a colleague performed surgery on a patient who later complained to the council on May 12, 2003 , alleging among others that he was not competently managed by the two doctors.
The council investigated the matter and found the two doctors culpable and appropriate sanctions were accordingly applied.
However, Dr Obeng refused to serve part of his sanction in spite of reminders from the council’s solicitors but his colleague did.
On September 6, 2012, the council suspended him, for advertising himself in the media contrary to section 3 of the medical profession (professional conduct and ethics regulations 1975) which is against the ethics of the profession.
Defying the suspension
Dr Atipui noted that despite his sanctions, Dr Obeng continued to operate in the country and was arrested by the council with the help of the police on December 28, 2016, for practising without registration contrary to the law.
When the council also served a letter to the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency requesting the status of the Obengfo Hospital, it discovered that the hospital was also not licensed as required by law.
“The hospital was closed down but Dr Obeng filed an application before the High Court seeking among others to restrain the council from lawfully exercising its power to closure, damages for loss of revenue as a result of the closure but before the application could be heard by the court, he had re-opened the hospital and was operating,” he disclosed.
The registrar averred that the council filed a civil case of practising without registration and operating a hospital without it being licensed as required by law but when the case was being called on May 21, 2018, Dr Obeng’s lawyers pleaded with the court for more time and the court has obliged them and awarded cost to him.
The criminal component of the case was put before court on June 1, 2018 following A-G’s review and advice but the case was adjourned to June 5, 2018.
The chairman of the council, Professor Paul Nyame, advised patients to always check the background and status of doctors before attending their clinics for medical attention.
He also called on individuals to report doctors’ misconducts to the council anytime they are treated unfairly.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey