Prof. Ernest Yorke
Prof. Ernest Yorke, President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), has expressed concern over what he said are threats to medical doctors mentioned in the report of the investigations into the death of Charles Amissah.
Speaking to Citi FM in Accra, he took exception to the handling of the report into the death of Charles Amissah, saying that the medical professionals in the findings have been exposed to public hostility and personal risk.
The GMA reaction comes on the heels of a directive by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, instructing the Chief Director of the Ministry to begin disciplinary processes against health workers implicated in the case after the submission of the committee’s report.
Speaking on Citi News yesterday, the GMA President described the decision to publicly identify the doctors as “unfortunate,” stressing that it had triggered widespread backlash against the individuals involved, which he stated has shifted focus to the gap in the country’s emergency sector.
According to him, some of the health professionals named in the report are already facing threats, online harassment and damaging messages, a situation that he says is affecting their safety and mental wellbeing.
“…It has implications for their practice, their mental health, and others. And that is why we are saying even if they’ve done wrong, there are better ways of handling this without necessarily having to put them [out],” he lamented.
The Association argued that alternative approaches exist for accountability, noting that in many legal and disciplinary systems, identities are protected until processes are concluded, and in some cases, names are withheld to prevent undue harm.
While maintaining that it supports accountability within the health sector, the GMA insisted that any corrective measures must balance transparency with protection for professionals, especially in high-pressure clinical environments.
The report reportedly concluded that Charles Amissah, a 29-year-old engineer, died as a result of medical neglect rather than injuries sustained from a hit-and-run incident.
Among those who were named and are expected to face disciplinary action are Dr. Anne-Marie Kudowor of the Police Hospital, Dr. Nina Naomi Eyram Adotevi of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and Dr. Ida Druant as well as Dr. (Med) Genevieve Adjar of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, alongside other nursing and regulatory staff cited in the report.