Abandoned patient was deemed healthy and discharged to her preferred destination – Winneba Trauma Hosp
Medical Director of Trauma and Specialist Hospital, Winneba, Dr. Prah George Kwame has explained that the patient who was allegedly abandoned in a bush by the hospital had the best of healthcare treatment while on admission.
According to him, the patient, an unknown person was knocked down by an unidentified driver in a ‘hit and ran’ incident on May, 29 in the Gomoa Ojobi community.
Then after, the National Ambulance Service inquired from the Social Welfare Officer of the hospital if they are ready to receive the patient.
The Medical Director in his incident report said the patient was treated well eventhough there was no family to pay for the bills.
“After the necessary examinations were done, Plaster of Paris (POP) was cast on both lower limbs of the patient due to fracture of the tibia bones. The hospital as usual took absolute responsibility for feeding, medication and housekeeping of the patient.
“The patient had been on admission for six (6) days and finally discharged on the 3’d June, 2024 after being declared well. The medical record is tendered in as evidence,” portions of his report indicated.
Dr. George Kwame added that from a discussion between the social welfare officer and the patient, it emerged that the patient resides at Gomoa Ojobi community, a fact which the National Ambulance corroborated by the Ambulance Service pick up point.
He emphasized that the patient after feeling much better asked that she should be sent back to “where she was picked up.”
Dr. George Kwame said the social welfare officers then agreed to send her back to her community, Gomoa Ojobi.
He stated that He noted that the national ambulance, social welfare officer and a hospital staff were assigned to transport the patient to her choice of destination.
“Moreover, after the patient was declared well by the Clinician, coupled with the fact that she was itching to leave the hospital, a consensus was reached by the two social welfare officers to send her back to Gomoa Ojobi as agreed by the two social workers.
“At this juncture, the hospital Ambulance accompanied by the social welfare officer and a staff of the hospital were detailed to transport her accordingly to the preferred destination of her choice after clothing her nicely and made available to her a wheel chair,” his noted.
Dr. George Kwame explained that “before the departure from the hospital to Ojobi, the Social Welfare Officer interacted with his counterpart at Ojobi to inform her that the patient was being brought back to Ojobi and she assured to take over.”
The hospital, he said is operated by “well-trained health professionals and will not for a moment misconduct themselves to dent the corporate image of the Ghana Health Service and its own image as a secondary referral facility.”
“Furthermore, mention should be made clearly that this had not been the first time this hospital had played “Good Samaritan “role by taking care of patients of such calibre and delivering them back safely to their community after getting well. Records are available to authenticate the veracity of this claim.,” Dr. George Kwame stated.
The Ghana Health Service has set up a 5-member committee to investigate circumstances leading to staff of the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital allegedly abandoning a patient in the bush at Gomoa Ojobi.
