Former Minister of Health Bernard Okoe Boye has urged the public to be careful about judging doctors and health workers mentioned in the investigation report into the death of Charles Amissah.
He said people should avoid concluding before the full report is properly reviewed.
During his interview today with Selorm Adonoo, Dr. Okoe Boye questioned why strong public statements are being made about individuals based on parts of a report that many people have not fully read.
He said discussions around the findings should be handled fairly and carefully because of how sensitive the issue is and the possible impact on the people involved.
“You should have an issue when you have a committee that is speaking to the whole country making categorical statements for individuals when we’ve not read the report to see the comments they made,” he said.
Dr. Okoe Boye explained that in some countries, full reports are released with detailed explanations and evidence so the public can understand the basis of the findings before making judgments.
He also described the committee’s work as an initial assessment and not a final decision on the people named in the report.
“I give them credit but I take their work as a prima facie establishment where on the surface of it these guys are wrong,” he stated.
“That is why they are directing to specific agencies. I don’t believe that those they have directed to, GMA, will just say you’ve been directed here, you’ve been punished, go,” he added, suggesting that due process would still be followed.
His comments come after the Ghana Medical Association raised concerns about how the report has been handled publicly, especially the naming of doctors linked to the case.
The Association said publicly identifying medical professionals has exposed some of them to criticism, online attacks, and safety concerns. It also argued that disciplinary procedures should protect professionals while still ensuring accountability.
The controversy follows the release of the committee’s report, which found that the death of Charles Amissah was linked to failures in emergency healthcare at several hospitals, including the Police Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Several doctors and health workers named in the report are expected to go through disciplinary processes as directed by the Ministry of Health.
