The Minister of Health has ordered the arrest of six staff members from the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba after an investigation revealed their improper handling of a patient, leading to her abandonment in a bush and eventual death in June 2024.
The directive follows a Ghana Health Service (GHS) report which concluded that the staff involved “did not act appropriately.”
The incident involved hospital staff discharging the patient, who was suffering from mental health issues, without following proper procedures.
The patient was transported by ambulance and abandoned at Gomoa Ojobi in the Central Region, where she died after days of neglect.
The six implicated staff members include the Deputy Director of Nursing, who organized the discharge, a physician assistant, Eric Kwaku Arhinful, who falsely certified the patient as mentally stable, and the hospital’s transport officer, Michael Peprah, who arranged the ambulance. Other staff involved are the Principal Hospital Orderly, Evans Odae Acheampong, who drove the ambulance, the Medical Director, Dr. George Prah, who authorized the ambulance, and social worker Kwame Asante Baidoo, who led the team to the abandonment site.
The Ministry of Health has referred the case to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Attorney General for further investigation to determine legal culpability and potential prosecution.
The ministry also emphasized its commitment to implementing the disciplinary recommendations from the GHS report.
The patient, who was admitted to the hospital in May 2024, had no known relatives and was reportedly suffering from mental illness. After being improperly discharged, she was abandoned and left to die by the roadside.
This case has drawn significant public attention due to its shocking nature and the hospital staff’s gross negligence.
