A retired senior officer of the Ghana Air Force, Commodore KK Pumpuni, has called for disciplinary action against health workers who may have turned away an accident victim who later died after reportedly being denied treatment at multiple hospitals.

Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, Pumpuni insisted that all medical staff on duty must be sanctioned if investigations confirm the patient was refused emergency care.

His comments come in the wake of public outrage following the death of 29-year-old Charles Amissah, who was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Overpass in Accra.

According to reports, ambulance personnel responded swiftly, stabilised him at the scene, and rushed him to the Police Hospital.

When he could not be admitted there, he was taken to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge) and later to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Pumpuni described the situation as unacceptable, stressing that emergency cases must be attended to immediately regardless of the availability of beds.

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“If it is confirmed that the patient was brought there, all the staff on duty that day should be brought to book. It shouldn’t happen,” he said.

According to him, hospitals have several ways of stabilising accident victims even when beds are unavailable.

“You don’t need a bed to treat someone who has been knocked down by a car. Put two or three tables together, lay the patient there and start a drip,” he explained.

Pumpuni further criticised the practice of turning away emergency patients, saying hospital staff must be innovative and prioritise saving lives rather than relying strictly on bed availability.

He added that even if the patient’s injuries were severe, medical personnel still had a duty to provide immediate care.

“It is too sad for somebody to die like that. At least some attention should have been given before the person died,” he stated.

MRA/VPO

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