An investigative committee set up to look into the recent altercation involving biker Ralph St. Williams and staff at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH) has recommended urgent reforms to strengthen security and improve emergency care delivery across health facilities in Ghana.
The committee’s findings, made public after its sittings, revealed that the nurse at the center of the incident, identified as Ms. Rejoice, did not sustain any fractures or dislocations as earlier feared.
She was treated with pain relief, given psychosocial support, and subsequently discharged.
Medical records indicated she was only advised to rest.
The committee also took testimony from Mr. St. Williams, who initially agreed to a virtual hearing with his lawyer, Oliver B. Vormawor, but later opted to submit a written statement with four video exhibits, including a Facebook Live recording.
In his submission, he denied physically assaulting any staff, insisting his frustration stemmed from alleged delays at the emergency department and provocative remarks made by a nurse. He emphasized that no patient was intentionally filmed.
Following its review, the committee recommended several urgent measures specific to GARH’s emergency department.
These include deploying more security personnel, repairing door locks, installing additional CCTV cameras, and posting a police officer at the emergency department 24/7.
It also urged immediate recruitment of clinical and administrative staff and restoration of imaging services such as X-ray, CT scan, and MRI, which were noted to have contributed to care delays.
Beyond GARH, the committee issued broader recommendations for the health system, including building human resource capacity for emergency care nationwide, expanding secondary-level hospitals in high-population regions, and providing affordable diagnostic equipment through public-private partnerships.
It further called for continuous public sensitization on how health facilities operate and for regular customer care training for health workers to address apathy and fatigue.
In its conclusion, the committee stressed that trained security personnel including police officers where necessarymust be present in all emergency units nationwide to protect staff and property.
It also urged government and the Ministry of Health to address critical staffing shortages in emergency and specialized care units to restore public confidence in Ghana’s health system.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
