Korle-Bu mourns

Accra, Aug. 29, GNA - The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) was in mourning on Monday as workers struggled to come to terms with the loss of three top Urologists, who perished in a motor accident at the weekend.

The Hospital has set up a committee to plan how to give their fallen colleagues a fitting goodbye.

Dr Mathew Kyei of the Urology Department and a colleague of the deceased, said: "These doctors were dedicated and losing them at this crucial time is catastrophic and disastrous since we did not see them only as colleagues but fathers and brothers."

Professor J.M.K. Quartey, Dr Isaac Bentsi and Dr Benjamin Osei-Wiafe, died in a motor accident last Saturday in the latest highway fatality on the Bunso-Apedwa stretch of the Accra-Kumasi road. The three were part of a medical team returning from an outreach programme at the Sunyani General Hospital.

"It is terrible a man (of Prof. Quartey's age) could die a tragic and violent death," he told the Ghana News Agency. "We never anticipated such a death. He could have died peacefully."

Staffs at the wards of the Doctors were in tears and could not believe the sad news.

Mr Mustapha Salifu, Public Relations Officer of KBTH, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA): "We are still shocked and find it difficult to accept the fact that they are no longer with us."

He expressed shock at the deaths, saying they were a major loss not only to the families but also to the Hospital and the nation as a whole.

"We do not have enough hands to handle urology cases in the country," he said in sadness.

Mr Salifu said a committee had been formed to organise the burial of the Urologists.

The committee, which is chaired by Dr Ben Annan, Director of Medical Affairs of KBTH, would start work on Tuesday. He said the committee would communicate with the families of the deceased and decide on the arrangement they had in place, whether to bury the doctors together or separately.

He expressed his deepest condolence to the affected families and advised drivers to be careful when driving and to avoid unnecessary overtaking.