An Emergency Care Unit doctor at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Dr. Matilda Amissah, has stated that her 29-year-old brother, Charles Amissah, could have been saved if he had received timely medical attention after a hit-and-run accident in Accra.
Speaking during a JoyNews national dialogue on Ghana’s emergency care crisis on Thursday, April 2, Dr. Amissah delivered an emotional account of the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death, raising serious concerns about delays in emergency response.
Charles Amissah reportedly sustained critical injuries in a hit-and-run incident at the Circle Overpass on February 6, 2026, and was picked up shortly after by a National Ambulance Service team. However, he was reportedly denied emergency medical care at several health facilities in Accra, which led to his untimely death.
According to Dr. Amissah, the response time at the scene was swift, but the breakdown occurred after he was transported to health facilities.
“From the time the ambulance picked him up, it took about three to four minutes. He got to the Police Hospital in another four to five minutes. I felt the Police Hospital should have at least looked at his injuries and tried to stabilise him — stop the bleeding and attend to him properly. He would have lived,” she said.
She stressed that uncontrolled bleeding can lead to death within minutes if urgent care is not provided.
“When someone is bleeding, you can lose that precious window — a few minutes to about an hour — to save a life,” she noted.
Dr. Amissah suggested that even basic emergency intervention at the first point of care could have made a difference. “Looking at his injuries, I believe he could have been saved. He could have been saved,” she reiterated.
She added that proximity to other health facilities raises further questions about missed opportunities.
“I even thought, if he had been taken to another nearby facility, they might have been able to manage the situation differently,” she said.
While acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding medical outcomes, she maintained that the circumstances point to avoidable lapses.
“I’m not God, so I can’t say everything with certainty, but from what I saw, he had a chance,” she added.
The case has intensified concerns over emergency care coordination in Ghana, particularly regarding how critically injured patients are handled upon arrival at hospitals.
Dr. Amissah is calling for urgent reforms to ensure that no patient in a life-threatening condition is denied immediate attention due to logistical challenges.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com