An independent investigation into the death of Charles Amissah found that he did not die instantly from his road accident injuries but from prolonged, preventable blood loss (exsanguination) due to failure of emergency medical care.
The report Amissah was alive at every stage — from the accident scene to the Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital—but none of these facilities provided timely life-saving intervention such as bleeding control, IV fluids or blood transfusion.
The report stated that pathology confirmed a “slow death from medical neglect,” emphasizing that early intervention at any point could have saved his life.
The fatal injury — a deep arm wound damaging major blood vessels, was survivable with basic emergency care.
Presentation
The Committee, formed by the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh on February 23, in the report yesterday said Amissah’s death was avoidable, and recommended disciplinary action against multiple health professionals, alongside systemic reforms in Ghana’s emergency care system.
The committee, tasked to examine the sequence of events, decision-making processes, and any factors that may have contributed to delays in emergency care included Retired Pathologist and former Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, Technical Advisor, Ministry of Health,Dr Koku Awoonor-Williams, Consultant, Emergency Medicine, UK and Ghana, Dr Conrad Buckle, Fellow in Emergency Medicine at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Henry Kwasi Bulley,
The rest are Senior Emergency Medicine Physician, University of Ghana Mediocal Centre, Dr Kwame Ekremet, Emergency and Critical Care Nurse, Madam Faustina Excel, Emergency and Critical Care Nurse, Madam Gertrude Nana Konadu Agyeman, Head and Director Legal, Ministry of Health, Pharm Inua I. Yusu and Senior Administrative Manager, Ministyr of Health, Dacosta Osei Agyekum.
Presenting the report, Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, whoc chaired the committee said the death of Charles Amissah has not only exposed a tragic chain of missed opportunities but has also forced a national reckoning, one that the investigative committee insists must lead to real, lasting change.
“The pathology confirms a slow death from medical neglect, and was not from the instant trauma. What it means is that, if at any of these facilities, there had been medical intervention, Charles Amissah could have survived. Now, the key findings.
“Charles Amissah died of exsanguination. Excessive loss of blood, due to an upper right arm bone and soft tissue injury. Causing damage to the axillary and brachial arteries and veins, following a road traffic accident.”
The committee recommended disciplinary action against Dr Anne-Marie Kudowo (Police Hospital), Dr Nina Naomin Eyram (Greater Accra Regional Hospital), Dr Aida Druante (Korle Bu Teaching Hospital), Dr Genevieve Adjah (Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ms. Akosua B. Turkson (GARH), Ms. Joy Daisy Nelson (Korle Bu Teaching Hospital) and Ms Salamatu Alhassan (Korle Bu Teaching Hospital)
“Death of Charles Amissah could have been avoided by medical intervention at the police hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, or Kolibu Teaching Hospital.
“Now, the post-mortem report was very pertinent. The significant post-mortem findings were that there was a deep laceration injury of the right upper arm, blood vessels, and muscles. Charles Emisa had a comminuted open fracture of the right upper humerus,” he stated.
Recommendations
In the aftermath of its findings, the committee’s recommendations read less like technical directives and more like a blueprint to prevent another life from slipping away under similar circumstances.
At the heart of it is a simple but urgent principle: no patient in a life-threatening condition should ever be turned away without immediate care.
To enforce this, the committee is pushing for swift disciplinary action against health professionals found to have failed in their duty at the Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
But beyond individual accountability, the report makes clear that the problem runs deeper—into the very structure of emergency care in Ghana and ne of the most significant proposals is the creation of a national emergency care fund.
Under this system, any patient picked up in critical condition would be guaranteed immediate treatment—whether at a public or private facility—without delays over payment.
The first 24 hours, the committee argues, are often the difference between life and death, and no hospital should hesitate to act because of financial uncertainty.
Alongside this is a call for a mandatory policy requiring all hospitals to stabilize emergency patients before any referral.
The committee envisions a system where the nearest facility becomes the first line of defense, not a checkpoint that passes responsibility along.
The report highlights the need to bring the Ghana Armed Forces’ Critical Care and Emergency Hospital fully into public use, transforming it into a shared national asset capable of easing pressure on civilian hospitals.
But perhaps the most far-reaching recommendation is cultural as much as it is clinical: a nationwide push for emergency skills training. From doctors and nurses to students and ordinary citizens, the committee is advocating for widespread education in basic life support.
The idea is straightforward — if more people know how to respond in those first critical moments, fewer lives will be lost waiting for help.
Additionally, the committee warns against allowing the report to gather dust, stressing the need for a central governance system to ensure that reforms are actually implemented and enforced.
In telling this story, the committee leaves the country with a stark message: what happened to Charles Amissah was preventable and unless these changes are made, it could happen again.
Disciplinary Action,
In a speech following the release of the investigation, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh announced immediate steps to ensure accountability and prevent future tragedies.
He ordered that health professionals from the Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital named in the report should face disciplinary action, with directives issued to hospital authorities and regulatory bodies to act swiftly.
“As Professor stated, the most important aspect is for us to be able to avoid the avoidable deaths we have witnessed. Therefore, without wasting much time, I want to accordingly direct the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health to write to the following people, the following health professionals, and their hospitals, and their regulators, that disciplinary actions be taken against them,” he said.
Beyond sanctions, the Minister emphasized ongoing and planned reforms to strengthen emergency care, including the rollout of a national electronic bed management system to improve patient allocation and reduce delays.
He also announced that the Ghana Armed Forces Critical Care and Emergency Hospital will be opened for public use as a national resource.
Reaffirming government commitment, the Minister stressed that the goal is not just to publish findings but to implement recommendations that will prevent avoidable deaths and improve Ghana’s emergency healthcare system.
“With these few words, I want to repeat and assure the committee that your work will not be in vain. We’ll endeavour to implement all the recommendations in the best interest of Mother Ghana,” hye added.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh