Former Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, has strongly criticised the government’s handling of the recent assault on health workers at Ridge Hospital, describing the incident as evidence of a deep-rooted failure in Ghana’s healthcare security system.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, August 23, Dr. Kissi argued that in many other countries, such a serious breach of hospital safety would have compelled the resignation of the Health Minister, irrespective of political affiliation.
“In other jurisdictions Australia, for example the minister would have resigned over this incident. It’s not about [Health Minister] Akandoh as an individual. It is about a clear system failure,” he said.
His remarks follow the violent confrontation on August 17, during which nurses and medical staff at Ridge Hospital’s emergency unit were physically attacked by relatives of a patient. The assault has provoked widespread outrage and renewed calls for tighter security across health facilities.
Dr. Kissi, who is also a medical doctor, stressed that the lack of proper security measures in critical areas such as emergency wards is unacceptable.
“Hospitals should have robust security, especially in emergency areas. What happened at Ridge clearly shows a serious flaw in the security system,” he emphasised.
He also criticised the Health Ministry’s response, pointing out that the Minister’s visit to Ridge Hospital lacked adequate preparation and proper engagement with the affected staff.
“I’m not happy with the way the Minister’s visit was handled. There should have been a thorough briefing involving those directly affected,” Dr. Kissi added.
In response to the incident, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has established a committee to investigate the matter, giving them a one-week deadline to present their findings and recommendations.
Meanwhile, one of the assaulted nurses, Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, has filed a civil lawsuit seeking GHS 7 million in damages against social media personality and activist Ralph Saint Williams, popularly known as Ralph De Fellow Ghanaian, accusing him of physical assault and defamation.
