“WELFARE OFFICERS UNDER FIRE: Accused of Approving Patient’s Return to Abandonment at Winneba Hospital”
It has been explained that after the patient from the Trauma and Specialist Hospital at Winneba in the Central Region was declared well by the Clinician, coupled with the fact that she was itching to leave the hospital, a consensus was reached by two social welfare officers, one at the hospital and one from Gomoa Ojobi for her to be sent 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.”
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.
This explanation is contained in an official report filed by the suspended Medical Director of the Trauma and Specialist Hospital at Winneba in the Central Region, Dr. George Prah.
The official report, a copy of which has been seen by Graphic Online and signed by Dr George Prah in his capacity as Medical Director is titled, “REPORT ON AN INCIDENCE INVOLVING UNKNOWN PERSON BROUGHT TO TRAUMA AND SPECIALIST HOSPITAL ON THE 29TH MAY, 2024.”
In the official report, Dr Prah explained that the patient spent six days at the hospital from May 29 to June 3, 2024.
It was explained that 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.
He explained that the patient was admitted on May 29 accompanied by the Social Welfare Officer of Gomoa Ojobi and treatment process started in earnest on the same day.
He stated that on May 29, 2024, it was staff from the National Ambulance Service, who called the Social Welfare Officer of the Trauma and Specialist Hospital at Winneba 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.
Dr Prah stated that 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, he added.
He stated the patient was on admission for six days and finally discharged on June 3, 2024 after being declared well. “The medical record is tendered in as evidence,” he added
He indicated that 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 disoriented 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,” he added.
“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,” he stated.
“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,” Dr Prah’s report stated.
Last Saturday, it came out that the Medical Director of the Trauma and Specialist Hospital at Winneba in the Central Region, Dr George Prah has temporary been relieved of his post pending the outcome of the investigation into the alleged abandonment of a patient in a bush, which led to the death of the patient.
He is to step aside until a committee constituted by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) completes an investigation into the incident.
Already, the Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye has given the GHS a maximum of 30 days to complete the investigation and submit a report.
It emerged on Thursday, June 13, 2024 that a patient who was on admission at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital at Winneba had allegedly been discharged and abandoned in a bush.
Advertisement
An ambulance from the hospital is said to have been used to transport and dump the old woman who was still recovering from leg injuries after an accident at the road side near a bush.
Photos and videos shared on the internet showed the woman lying by the road side with P.O.P. on both legs and a wheelchair lying by her side.
It was a passerby who offered a cloth to help keep the old woman warm when she exhibited signs of feeling cold.
She reportedly died after some days of lying by the road side.
GHS emergency meeting
At an emergency meeting with the management of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Friday [June 14, 2024], the Medical Director of the hospital reportedly confirmed the incident.
Except that according to the GHS, the Medical Director confirming the incident however explained that the report in the various media outlets and the circumstances surrounding the facts are different from what has been reported in the media.
Consequently, a committee has been constituted to conduct independent investigation into the matter to enable the Ghana Health Service take appropriate action.
The Committee is made up of the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon from the Ridge Hospital, representative from the Ministry of Health, representative from the Social Welfare Department and a senior Nurse Manager.
They are to ensure credibility and unfettered access to all relevant information.
The Ghana Health Service has consequently informed the Minister of Health about the action taken and assured that the appropriate action will be taken at the end of the enquiry to ensure that any persons connected with the unfortunate incident are brought to book.
Minister gives 30 days for report
Meanwhile the Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye has given the GHS a maximum of 30 days from the date of the constitution of the committee to submit a report.
Background
The incident of an alleged discharge, transporting of an accident patient who was reportedly suffering from what was suspected to be a mental illness or dementia, and abandoning the old woman by the roadside near a bush at the outskirts of Gomoa Ojobi, leading to her death a week later generated public interest last week with many asking for the full facts and appropriate sanction.
The old woman reportedly died last Monday [June 10, 2024] after about a week of being abandoned at the roadside near a bush.
Photos and videos shared from where she was abandoned shows a woman with P.O.P. on both legs, lying down with a wheelchair by her side,
ome eyewitnesses have alleged they saw staff from the Ambulance Service, removing the said old woman from an ambulance and dumping her by the road side.
She died a week after hanging and lying at the spot she was reportedly dumped.
What happened?
The old woman, who was reportedly suffering from what was suspected to be a mental illness or dementia was reportedly involved in an accident and was taken to the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital for medical attention.
While all the other accident victims had relatives visiting them and taking them home after they were discharged, the said old woman never received a visitor or no family member showed up.
After some time on admission, the elderly woman after gaining consciousness was only able to give an indication that she was from Gomoa Ojobi in the Central Region.
Apart from that, she reportedly could not give hospital staff much information about herself to assist them trace her relatives.
No family members showed up at the hospital to engage the management of the hospital.
Hospital staff allegedly discharged and abandoned her at outskirts of Ojobi
It has been alleged that, when the hospital authorities reportedly became fed up with her, especially as some hospital staff claim, she was constantly screaming at night and disturbing patients and staff, they decided to go out to search for her relatives.
Since the little information they gathered was that she was from Gomoa Ojobi, they reportedly sent her away from the hospital in an ambulance.
As alleged by some residents, they spotted an ambulance from the hospital, and saw the staff removing and dumping the old woman by the road side at the outskirts of Gomoa Ojobi in a nearby bush.
After about a week of hanging and lying at the spot, she reportedly died.
Some residents said they were scared to go near her.
Reports
The Odikro of Ojobi told Graphic Online’s Shirley Asiedu Addo on Thursday morning [June 13] that he was informed by some community members that the woman was dumped by an ambulance of the hospital about a week ago.
He said he gathered that the ambulance from the Effutu municipality had dumped the woman at a branch road which was a quiet place.
Nana Atta Kakra said the woman was said to have had some form of dementia after an accident at Senya about three weeks ago and was taken to the Trauma and Specialist hospital for treatment.
Nana Atta Kakra said upon hearing about the incident the unit committee informed the police and organised beddings for her to keep her warm.
However, he said the woman passed on last Monday [June 10, 2024].
He said the unit committee from Gomoa Ojobi organised a hearse to take the deceased to the morgue of the same Trauma and Specialist hospital in Winneba.
