Health Ministry To Sue Patient's Father

The Ministry of Health is contemplating legal action against the father of a 14-year-old heart patient who died in September last year under controversial circumstances. The report of a committee which investigated the death of Master Frank Asubonteng, has been forwarded to Attorney General’s Department for necessary advise.

Nana Asubonteng, the father of the deceased, accused staff of the Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital of negligence, resulting in the death of his son in September last year.

But the hospital authorities insisted that the 14-year old heart patient was brought to the hospital dead. The committee, which investigated the death of Master Asubongteng, affirms the position of the hospital authorities.

The committee found that Frank Asubongteng died of a heart valve disease. The committee concluded that Frank’s father did not give a credible account of the events leading to the death of his son.

Six years before his death, Frank’s father, had vehemently opposed a surgical operation to correct a defect in his heart. Nana Asubonteng only agreed to the operation after a public outcry and the intervention of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice.

With this background, the committee concluded that Nana Asubongteng, having initially opposed the heart operation and having clashed the authorities of the Cardio Centre, used the death of his son to embarrass the Centre and the Korle Bu Teaching hospital. But Nana Asubongteng has rejected the committee’s report.