The Greater Accra Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has raised serious concerns about the credibility of the Health Ministry's investigation into an alleged assault on a nurse at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, also known as Ridge Hospital.
Jefferson Asare, speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View programme on Wednesday (28 August), claimed that the doctor who first examined the nurse after the alleged incident was not interviewed by the committee tasked with probing the case.
The investigative committee, chaired by Dr Lawrence Ofori-Boadu, concluded there was no medical evidence to support claims of a dislocated shoulder or fractured wrist following the alleged assault on rotation nurse Rejoice Tsotso Bortei on 18 August.
According to the committee’s report, Ms Bortei only reported her injuries the following day, and available medical records did not indicate any dislocation or fracture.
However, Mr Asare strongly disputed this version of events, insisting that a senior medical officer had in fact diagnosed the nurse with injuries consistent with a dislocation during an assessment on the Monday following the incident.
“I can say on record that the doctor who examined the nurse was not even interviewed,” he said. “I have the medical report that was written and stamped, with the doctor’s name clearly indicated—but the committee left him out.”
Mr Asare also criticised the committee’s selection of witnesses, questioning why the head of department (HOD) was interviewed instead of the doctor who conducted the initial examination.
“You go and interview the HOD of that department. What account will the HOD give you? You need to speak to the person who saw the patient first,” he said.
He further clarified that the nurse was initially diagnosed with “poly contusion”—a term used to describe multiple bruises, pain, swelling and redness at the site of injury.
“This diagnosis wasn’t made by the nurse or any bystander. It was confirmed by a senior medical officer,” he said.
The GRNMA’s concerns now cast a shadow over the transparency and thoroughness of the investigation, prompting calls for a review of the committee’s processes.
There has been no immediate response from the Ministry of Health or the investigative team regarding the claims.
