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 by seven hospitals a year ago.

On Saturday, June 2, 2018, the 70-year-old, Prince Opoku-Acheampon died after his family sent him to the C&J Medicare Hospital at Adabraka, the Korle Bu Polyclinic, the Ridge, the Police and the Trust hospitals, as well as the La Polyclinic and finally, the LEKMA Hospital at Teshie where he died in his car.

The hospitals are said to have refused to admit him because they claimed they did not have beds.

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

On Monday, June 11, 2018 the Director General (DG) of the GHS, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, directed all government-accredited hospitals and clinics to, henceforth, desist from turning patients away on the excuse that they had no beds.

Related: Man turned away by 7 health facilities, Committee to investigate death

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 sent there for medical care.

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

In a television interview with Citi TV on Monday, a year after the incident, 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.

However, the President of the GRNMA, Dr. Kweku Asante-Krobo also speaking on Citi TV said his outfit is in 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 Nursing & Midwifery Council (N&MC) indicted three but that of the Ghana health service indicted two,” he said.