Following the setting up of a 5-member committee to investigate circumstances surrounding the abandonment of a patient in the bush at Gomoa Ojobi by officials of the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba, the Medical Director has submitted an incident report to the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Patrick Kumah- Aboagye.
The report, Dr. Prah George Kwame (PhD), gives a blow-by-blow account of what happened.
Please read on:
REPORT ON AN INCIDENT INVOLVING UNKNOWN PERSON BROUGHT TO TRAUMA AND SPECIALIST HOSPITAL ON THE 29. MAY, 2024
On the above-mentioned date, the National Ambulance Service called the Social Welfare Officer of the hospital to inquire as to whether the hospital was ready to accept an unknown knocked down person by a ‘hit and ran’ driver and the response was in the affirmative.
The victim of the accident was brought to the hospital by the National Ambulance Service accompanied by the Social Welfare Officer of Gomoa Ojobi and treatment process started in earnest on the same day.
After the necessary examinations were done, Plaster of Paris (POP) was cast on both lower limbs of the patient due to fracture of the tibia bones. The hospital as usual took absolute responsibility for feeding, medication and housekeeping of the patient. The patient had been on admission for six (6) days and finally discharged on the 3’d June, 2024 after being declared well. The medical record is tendered in as evidence.
Meanwhile, based on the outcome of the interaction between the Social Welfare Officer and the patient, it was established that the patient hailed from Gomoa Ojobi community and that also confirmed where the National Ambulance picked her up.
At certain point in time during the treatment process the patient became dis oriented and started to exhibit some amount of violence. However, after gaining some strength and consciousness, the patient was calm and wished to have been sent back to where she was picked up.
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Moreover, after the patient was declared well by the Clinician, coupled with the fact that she was itching to leave the hospital, a consensus was reached by the two social welfare officers to send her back to Gomoa Ojobi as agreed by the two social workers.
At this juncture, the hospital Ambulance accompanied by the social welfare officer and a staff of the hospital were detailed to transport her accordingly to the preferred destination of her choice after clothing her nicely and made available to her a wheel chair.
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Again, before the departure from the hospital to Ojobi, the Social Welfare Officer interacted with his counterpart at Ojobi to inform her that the patient was being brought back to Ojobi and she assured to take over.
Sincerely speaking, if one should objectively analyse the situation at hand, one would realize that the hospital had played its role as expected of it by taking care of the patient, empathize with her but unfortunately the inevitable occurred.
It would interest the public to know that Trauma and Specialist Hospital, Winneba is being operated by well-trained health professionals and will not for a moment misconduct themselves to dent the corporate image of the Ghana Health Service and its own image as a secondary referral facility.
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Furthermore, mention should be made clearly that this had not been the first time this hospital had played “Good Samaritan “role by taking care of patients of such calibre and delivering them back safely to their community after getting well. Records are available to authenticate the veracity of this claim.
Management would like to appreciate the sentiments expressed by the public regarding this unfortunate incidence. This is a learning curve and a bitter lesson to learn, and promised not to repeat it again in the life history of the hospital.
Summon Board, Management of Winneba Trauma Hospital – Ablakwa urges Parliament
SIGNED
Dr. Prah George Kwame (PhD)
Medical Director
