The Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Policies and Research (INSTEPR), Kwadwo Poku, has weighed in on the alleged assault case at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital popularly known as Ridge Hospital, condemning the violence but also raising concerns about the conduct of some nurses in current times.

In a snippet from an interview with Prime Insight, shared by SikaOfficial on X on August 23, Poku argued that while any act of assault on health professionals is unacceptable, some do not always uphold the ethics of their profession.

He claimed that many people now choose nursing not out of a genuine passion for caring, but primarily for the financial allowances they receive during training and the job security that comes after graduation.

Ridge Hospital: One arrested in connection with assault on health workers

According to Poku, this has caused the profession to lose its "once noble status."

"Considering the nature of work they do at health facilities; I can't go near it. So, I have a lot of respect for nurses. However, recent conducts of some nurses such as actively engaging with their phones when patients direly need care, leaves much to be desired.

“It appears most actors in the nursing profession opted for the career merely for job security and incentives," he stated, suggesting that this mindset contributes to a decline in professional standards.

His reaction follows an alleged assault on a nurse at Ridge Hospital, a development that sparked public outrage.

Ridge hospital assault should cost health minister his job – Adomako Kissi

The alleged assault came to light after a viral video showed relatives of an accident victim physically attacking staff in Ridge Hospital’s emergency department.

In response, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, visited the hospital to reassure healthcare workers, ordered tightened security, and launched an investigation.

A committee was tasked to probe the incident, administratively by the Ministry and criminally by the police, with public assurances that the law will take its course.

Arrests have already been confirmed, though details of suspects, including whether Ralph Saint Williams, the instigator, is among them, remain undisclosed.

The Committee has indicated that it will present the report to the health minister on August 25.

Watch video below

Kwadwo Poku has criticized the current state of the nursing profession, which he says has lost its once noble status.

According to him, many people now pursue nursing not out of passion, but mainly because of the financial allowances they receive during their training and the… pic.twitter.com/yNZAxOQMAR

— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) August 23, 2025