Two nurses facing disciplinary action over death of 70-year-old man

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) says two of its members are facing disciplinary action following the death of a 70-year-old man after he was turned away from seven hospitals a year ago.

The deceased, Anthony Opoku-Acheampong, had been sent to the C&J Medicare Hospital at Adabraka, the Korle Bu Teaching hospital, Korle Bu Polyclinic, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), the Police Hospital, Trust Hospital, and finally the LEKMA Hospital at Teshie where he died in his car.

His death sparked public outrage and a six-member committee was set up to investigate the matter.

The six-member committee probing the matter found that at C&J Medicare Hospital, for example, there were 20 empty beds at the time the man was brought in for medical care.

At the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and LEKMA Hospital, there were beds available in wards outside the emergency unit.

Speaking on Citi TV, the Deputy Health Minister, Alex Abban noted that the indicted persons “were required to be dealt with by their respective regulatory bodies.”

“But as at now, I do not have any evidence that anybody has been punished for their negligence or anything leading to the death of a man,” he said.

The President of the GRNMA, Dr. Kweku Asante-Krobea said his outfit is the process of meting out sanctions to its members who were indicted in the report.

“Two of them are on the line to possibly face disciplinary action. The committee has finished its work but it is not yet in the public domain. In the report, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association indicted three but that of the Ghana health service indicted two,” he said.