Death of abandoned woman by Winneba Trauma Hospital, a big shame

By Simon Agbovi

Kasoa (C/R), June 20, GNA – The Convention People’s Party has described as ‘shameful’ the death of a woman in her late 60’s who was dumped in a bush at Gomoa Ojobi by the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital.

Chairperson of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) Mrs. Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong-Kumankumah expressed her displeasure when she visited the scene where the woman was dumped and subsequently died four days after in the open.

The Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital was reported to have dumped the woman who was knocked down by a speeding vehicle and was admitted at that Hospital because her relatives failed to show up.

“It is a big shame to us all and on our national conscience for someone to die in that manner and no excuse can justify that action,” she noted.

She said it was pathetic that such an incident could happen in a Country touted as a religious nation, stressing that the incident was a reality of the country’s failed institutions.

She also blamed neighbours around who saw the abandoned woman in the open for days without attending to her, resulting in her demise.

Madam Kumankumah stated that it was a reminder that measures must be instituted for the country’s institutions to work and uphold the sense of integrity and ethics towards their job.

In her view, swearing by the Bible and Quran over the period had gone through a renaissance, and it was time public officials swore by lesser gods with water to make a commitment to the land and the people.

Madam Kumankumah had earlier visited the palace of Odikro of Gomoa Ojobi, Nana Atta Kakra where the Chief described the incident as ‘very pathetic.’

According to the Chief who is also the Kyedomhene of Gomoa Assin Traditional Area, the woman was not a known person in the community, and he only got to know that the matter had been reported to the police and the social welfare after he got wind of it and sent a delegation to the police station.

“We are very disappointed in the action by the health facility because every Ghanaian national deserves to be treated with dignity and institutions must be able to assist in times of need, and so if the doctor could allow the patient to be dumped without informing traditional leaders, the assembly member or the police, then it is very sad and the doctor must apologise.”

Some community members revealed that the woman appeared demented and was severally spotted loitering in the community prior to the accident.

They added that the Ojobi Police District Command was informed after she was abandoned but failed to heed to their call until her demise.

Sources at the Winneba Trauma Hospital indicated that the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital demanded GHC9,000 when contacted for the patient to be transported to their facility.

GNA