Doctors' death is a national disaster- Kufuor

Accra, Aug. 29, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday described the tragic road accident that killed three prominent Urologists last Saturday on the Kumasi-Accra highway as "a national disaster".

"It is an irreparable loss, I am shocked", he said, after visiting Dr George Klufio, one of the two, who survived in the accident and is now on admission at the Intensive Care Unit of the Cardio-Thoracic Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

He is now said to be out of danger and is responding to treatment. Professor J.M.K. Quartey, Dr Isaac Bentsi and Dr Benjamin Osei-Wiafe, all of the Urology Department of Korle-Bu Hospital, perished on the spot when a saloon car went off its lane and crashed into a Nisssan Patrol Vehicle on which they were travelling.

President Kufuor said the fact that Professor Quartey, aged about 80, went on the outreach programme to help bring relief to the suffering showed the quality of selflessness, he and his colleagues were imbued with.

"We pray that they would not have lost their lives in vain". He said the lesson health professionals and for that matter all other professionals in the country should learn was that nobody would come from anywhere "to build the nation for us".

President Kufuor, therefore, urged Ghanaians to be mindful of that and use their talents to serve the country.

He said the fact that the accident happened at a quality section of the road that had just been done also brought to the fore the need for drivers to be more careful to ensure that their vehicles were healthy before they put them on the road.

Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Chief Administrator of the Hospital, said the death of the three doctors was a big blow, pointing out that since they were trainers, the training of Urologists was going to be greatly affected.

"They are heroes as they gave up their lives in the service to humanity".

The country, which needs about 36 Urologists, is now left with only seven. Five of them are at Korle-bu, one each at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and 37 Military Hospital.

The Doctors were returning from an outreach programme at the Sunyani General Hospital when their vehicle was involved in the accident. All the five other occupants in the saloon car also died.

The Driver of the vehicle on which the Doctors were travelling was the only other person, who survived with Dr Klufio, and was also admitted to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has been discharged.