By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News Canada | May 6, 2026
A major investigative committee probing the death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah has identified several health professionals across three major hospitals, concluding that failures in emergency response and delayed treatment contributed to what it described as an “avoidable death.”
Amissah, an employee of Promasidor Ghana Limited, reportedly sustained severe injuries after being knocked down in a hit-and-run incident near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange on February 6, 2026.
According to the committee chaired by Agyeman Badu Akosa, the victim initially received assistance from personnel of the National Ambulance Service but later faced significant difficulties in obtaining emergency medical care at multiple health facilities in Accra.
The report painted a troubling picture of gaps within Ghana’s emergency healthcare system, particularly concerning coordination, emergency preparedness, and the handling of critically injured patients.
Prof. Akosa strongly criticized the level of preparedness among some ambulance personnel involved in the case.
“In other words, they were just couriers, really, and could not, without these skills, maintain life whilst in the ambulance.”
The committee stated that some emergency medical technicians lacked proper training in critical emergency procedures, including:
- Basic Life Support
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support
- Advanced Trauma Life Support
Investigators argued that these deficiencies may have reduced the patient’s chances of survival during the critical period immediately after the accident.
The report also named several doctors and nurses from the Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for allegedly failing to provide timely attention while the patient remained in a life-threatening condition.
Among the medical professionals cited in the report were:
- Dr Anne Marie Kuduwa
- Dr Nina Naomi Adotevi
- Dr Ida Drunt
- Dr Genevieve Ajah
Some nursing personnel, including Ms B. Texson, Ms Joy Daisy Nelson, and Ms Salamatu Alhassan Adu, were also identified during the investigation.
The committee reached a direct and deeply troubling conclusion.
“The medical staff on duty at the Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital failed to attend to Charles Amissah when he was in a life-threatening condition and this led to his avoidable death.”
The findings have intensified national discussion about the state of emergency healthcare delivery in Ghana and whether hospitals are adequately prepared to respond to trauma cases requiring urgent intervention.
The committee recommended disciplinary action through hospital management structures as well as professional bodies such as the Medical and Dental Council and the Nurses and Midwives Council.
Beyond disciplinary measures, the report called for broader reforms within the emergency healthcare system. One key recommendation was the establishment of a national electronic emergency bed management system to improve coordination between hospitals and reduce dangerous delays in patient transfers and admissions.
The case has triggered emotional reactions from sections of the public, with many Ghanaians questioning whether better coordination and quicker medical intervention could have saved the young engineer’s life.
For healthcare analysts, the tragedy exposes deeper structural weaknesses that extend beyond individual mistakes. The incident has become part of a larger national conversation about emergency response systems, accountability in public healthcare, and the urgent need for institutional reform.
COMMENTARY | BOAKYE STEPHEN
This story is painful because it touches the deepest fear of every citizen: What happens if I need urgent help?
A healthcare system is not measured only by buildings or equipment. It is measured by response.
When a critically injured person moves through multiple hospitals without receiving lifesaving care, the issue stops being individual failure — it becomes systemic weakness.
The phrase “avoidable death” is heavy because it suggests that life may have been preserved under a better system, stronger coordination, or more decisive action.
Emergency care is not a luxury. It is the line between life and death.
And if institutions designed to save lives become delayed, confused, or disconnected, public trust suffers quietly but deeply.
𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙉𝘿𝘼𝙍𝘿𝙎
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤-𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮.
