The Ghanaian Minister of Health has directed that staff from the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba, who were involved in abandoning a patient in a bush in June 2024, be handed over to the police.
This decision comes after an investigation by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) determined that the hospital employees involved acted inappropriately, leading to the patient’s death.
The Ministry has also requested the Attorney General to further investigate the incident, and the case has been reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the police.
The patient, an elderly woman who was recovering from leg injuries following an accident, was left by hospital staff in a bush near Gomoa Ojobi after being discharged.
Despite suffering from suspected mental illness or dementia, no relatives came to visit her during her two-month stay at the hospital.
After being abandoned, the woman died after lying by the roadside for about a week. The Health Minister has emphasized the seriousness of the case, calling for appropriate sanctions and further legal action.