Dr. Matilda Amissah, sister of the late Charles Amissah has said that although Ghana’s emergency response system is flawed, she still has faith in the state and its institutions.
She made the remarks after a committee investigating her brother’s death concluded that Charles Amissah died from medical neglect rather than injuries sustained in the accident, following nearly two hours without treatment across three major hospitals.
On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, the committee, set up by the Health Minister, presented its report and revealed that the failure to triage or administer care at the three hospitals c ontributed to Charles Amissah’s death.
Chairman of the committee and pathologist, Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa, also noted that the ambulance involved was unequipped to stop the bleeding, which further contributed to his death.
Speaking during a Zoom interview wit TV3’s Beatrice Sowah on May 7, Dr. Matilda Amissah recounted how the family struggled to obtain information from the police while searching for Charles, relying largely on eyewitness accounts to determine his whereabouts.
“With the police, even during the search for him, they weren’t forthcoming. They kept telling us, ‘We are still working on it.’ From the investigations, they said the cameras at the Circle Overpass were only focused on the traffic lights, monitoring who was running the lights and who was not.
“There were no cameras covering the angle where the accident occurred. The only camera that could have provided footage was blocked by a huge tree,” she said.
Despite the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death, Dr. Amissah said she still believes improvements can be made within the system.
“As I sit here and listen to the committee, I still have hope in the system. They did not take the matter lightly. They carried out the necessary investigations. We still hope that from this point onward, structures will be put in place to ensure this never happens again. Charles Amissah should be the last person this happens to,” she said.
Dr. Amissah described Ghana’s emergency response system as “flawed,” stressing the need for better-equipped ambulances and enhanced training for medical personnel.
“I would say our emergency response system is flawed. The National Ambulance Service must be equipped to handle emergencies effectively. Paramedics and medical personnel need more training. We also need to equip lower-level health facilities to adequately manage emergency cases,” she stated.
She further revealed that the Charles Amissah Emergency Care Foundation has been established to support the training and resourcing of healthcare workers.
According to her, the foundation aims to provide health workers with the necessary medical supplies, equipment, and resources needed to effectively handle emergency cases at the various levels of healthcare delivery.
By Beatrice Sowah
