The Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Mark Kurt Nawaane, has called on medical professionals who feel overwhelmed by the demands of their work to step aside rather than risk compromising patient care.
His remarks follow the release of findings by a ministerial investigative committee into the death of Charles Amissah, an engineer who died after being denied timely emergency care following a hit-and-run accident in Accra earlier this year.
Speaking during an engagement with the committee, Dr. Nawaane stressed that improving healthcare delivery goes beyond infrastructure and logistics, placing significant responsibility on the conduct and ethical commitment of health professionals.
“We are saying that it is beyond just the facilities; it is the individuals. Please, if you are a medical professional and you are tired of the work, you can resign. Ghana will survive,” he stated.
The committee, chaired by renowned pathologist and former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Agyeman Badu Akosa, concluded that Amissah died from prolonged and preventable blood loss due to failures in emergency medical care rather than from the injuries sustained in the crash.
According to the report, the victim’s injuries were survivable had he received prompt interventions such as bleeding control, intravenous fluids, or blood transfusion at any of the facilities he was taken to.
The report recommended disciplinary action against four doctors and three nurses from the Ghana Police Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for breaches in duty of care.
Dr. Nawaane praised the committee for what he described as a transparent and bold investigation, particularly for naming individuals alleged to have engaged in professional misconduct, an approach he said had often been avoided in past inquiries.
“Immediately we started and mentioned medical negligence and even started coming up with names, and I said thank God, this is a step forward,” he noted.
He added that healthcare workers must recognise their limits and seek assistance from senior colleagues when faced with complex cases.
“If you can’t do something, you call your colleague doctor or senior doctor. One funny thing about the senior doctors is that they are always happy to be called,” he said.
Prof. Akosa, however, cautioned against allowing the report to suffer the fate of previous investigations that were never implemented.
“We want to ensure that this report does not collect dust but is acted upon,” he stressed.
The findings have sparked nationwide debate over accountability in Ghana’s healthcare system, particularly concerning emergency response protocols and referral systems.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA), in a statement issued on May 7, acknowledged the report but warned against an overemphasis on individual blame.
According to the Association, the findings also highlight “significant systemic weaknesses and longstanding gaps in emergency care delivery,” arguing that public discourse should focus equally on institutional reforms.
Charles Amissah, an employee of Promasidor Ghana, was reportedly transferred between multiple hospitals following the February accident but did not receive critical life-saving interventions during that period.
Following the report, the Ministry of Health Ghana has directed seven health professionals to face disciplinary action and announced a series of reforms aimed at strengthening emergency healthcare delivery nationwide.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said the government plans to introduce a national electronic bed management system and open the Ghana Armed Forces Critical Care and Emergency Hospital for public use.
The committee also proposed the creation of a national emergency care fund to ensure that critically ill patients receive immediate treatment regardless of their financial situation.
Prof. Akosa described the incident as a critical moment for reform, warning that preventable deaths would persist unless systemic challenges within the healthcare system are urgently addressed.