The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has criticized the Health Ministry for referring the doctor and nurse under whose watch a baby went missing at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), to the Dental and Medical Council as well as the Nurses and Midwifery Council.
According to the GMA, such institutions which fall under the GMA, are not responsible for such a referral since they were not responsible for the sudden disappearance of the baby.
The Health Minister, Sherry Ayitey on Thursday called for an investigation into the conduct of the two health officers.
But the GMA is insisting, authorities at the KATH should have done the referral.
Speaking on Eyewitness News,the General Secretary of GMA, Dr. Frank Serebour said “if there are issues at KATH, they are supposed to institute investigations and find out precisely what has gone wrong…..the Ministry has no right to come in and bully their way through.”
According to him, if the authorities at the KATH are refusing to take appropriate measures to find out the cause of the problem, it is the duty of the Health Ministry to take an immediate action to sack the authorities of the hospital for their negligence.
“This baby has to be found whether dead or alive… any person who has been involved in the sudden loss of the baby should be dragged before the disciplinary committee,” he insisted
But in a rebuttal, the Head of Public Relations at the Ministry of Health, Tony Goodman says the referrals were done in the interest of the public.
According to him, the Health Ministry will take a decision after investigating into the matter.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses’ Association Mr. Asante Krobea stated that the directive of the Ministry of Health was advisable.
He also bemoaned the rate at which the missing baby had led to people forming perceptions that nurses and midwives are negligent
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana