The Medical and Dental Council (MDC) has finally commenced hearings into the case brought against a medical doctor at the 37 Military Hospital on charges of extortion and medical negligence four years after a complaint was filed.
The doctor, recently promoted, Brigadier-General G.A. O. Appiah was responsible for managing the case of Solomon Asare-Kumah who was admitted on August 22, 2019, and who passed away on October 21 of the same year.
He is accused by the family of illegally charging the family GHS 40,000 for a procedure that they ended up paying for again to the hospital contrary to assurances that the payment was for the entire management of the patient including his surgical procedure.
The hearing followed the consideration by the Penal Cases Committee of the MDC on August 28, 2020, which “unanimously agreed that the case should be forwarded to the Disciplinary Committee for a full inquiry”, a document from the MDC stated.
After this complaint, the MDC referred the complaint to the Army Headquarters which instituted a Military Board of Inquiry into the matter in 2020.
Since the completion of the inquiry in 2020, the Military Authority refused to furnish the family with a copy of its findings or recommendations, prompting the family to seek redress in a High Court, which ruled that the report be released to the family.
The court presided over by His Lordship Justice Charles Edward Baiden in his ruling in June 2023 on an application for discovery filed ordered that the medical records of Solomon at the 37 Military Hospital as well as the report of the Board of Inquiry be released to the family.
“The report or record of proceedings of the Board of Inquiry relating to the admission, treatment and death of the Deceased, howsoever described by the 1st to 3rd Defendants/Respondents, together with the medical records of the Deceased shall be furnished to the Plaintiff/Applicant within ten (10) days hereof.
In compliance, the Office of the Attorney General submitted the medical records of Solomon but filed an appeal against the release of the BOI report which it claimed would be injurious to national security.
The Defendants in the case are the Attorney General, the Chief of Defence Staff, the 37 Military Hospital and Col (Dr.) G.A.O. Appiah.
Background to Case
Solomon Asare-Kumah came to Ghana from the UK in 2019 to visit his sick father but took ill himself.
After some examination, doctors said he had a non-cancerous brain tumour that needed to be removed urgently.
He was referred from a hospital in Sakumono to the 37 Military Hospital
According to the family, a neurosurgeon at the 37 Military Hospital whose name was given only as Colonel Appiah, told them the surgery was necessary at the time.
The family said the supposed emergency surgery of the deceased was postponed several times with different excuses including one time when the neurosurgeon said he wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t perform the surgery.
The family is asking the court for damages in excess of GHS 2 million from the 37 Military Hospital.
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