Former Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, has urged caution in the public handling of findings from the investigative report into the death of engineer Charles Amissah, warning against drawing definitive conclusions before the document is fully reviewed. Speaking in an interview with Selorm Adonoo on What the Papers Are Saying on Thursday, May 7, Dr. Okoe Boye questioned the practice of making categorical pronouncements about individuals based on excerpts from a report that has not yet been comprehensively studied.
He stressed the importance of a measured and fair approach in discussing the findings, given the sensitivity of the matter and its potential implications for those 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 further argued that in other jurisdictions, full reports are released with detailed context and transcribed evidence, enabling the public to better understand the basis of findings before conclusions are drawn. Okoe Boye said he views the committee’s work as a preliminary or prima facie assessment rather than a final judgment on the individuals involved.
“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 amid concerns raised by the Ghana Medical Association over the handling of the report and the public naming of medical professionals implicated in the case. The Association has warned that identifying doctors in the findings has exposed them to public hostility, online attacks, and personal safety risks, arguing that disciplinary processes should be handled in a way that protects professionals while ensuring accountability.
The controversy follows the release of a committee report which concluded that Charles Amissah’s death was linked to failures in emergency medical care across multiple health facilities, including the Police Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Several medical professionals and health workers have since been named in the report and are expected to face disciplinary processes as directed by the Ministry of Health.
Source: Abigail Arthur