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The Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has criticised Deputy Health Minister Grace Ayensu-Danquah for politicising the tragic death of 29-year-old Charles Amissah, who died on February 6 after being turned away by three major health facilities in Accra.
The lawmaker’s remarks followed statements by the Deputy Minister, who claimed on the parliamentary floor that the previous NPP government failed to complete any of the Agenda 111 hospital projects, despite billions in investment.
Speaking on Tuesday, February 24, Nkrumah apologised to the victim’s family on behalf of MPs who might be associated with his statement, citing the Deputy Minister’s comments.
“Let me, on behalf of MPs who may feel like associating with this call I am about to make, apologise to the family of Charles Amissah for the comments that have just been made by the Deputy Minister for Health, which, in our view, attempts to politicise the matter. This is the matter of a tragic death, a matter that has now been announced as a subject of an investigation,” he said.
He added, “There should be no basis for which at this time the attempt to suggest that it is because the immediate past administration did not finish Agenda 111 buildings or EMTs have not been certified. Because if we descend into that arena, Mr Speaker, we may be tempted to ask what the administration before the last one also did about that.”
Nkrumah stressed that the focus should be on strengthening emergency care rather than partisan debates. “I am not sure what Ghanaians want to hear us talking about is an attempt to be doing partisan exchanges on this. What is important is that this investigation is done, and is done in a credible manner. What is important is that if some wrongdoing is found, the persons who would have engaged in it are held culpable, and, more importantly, Mr Speaker, there is an assurance that going forward the emergency health processes that should take place in our health facilities across the country are very strongly observed,” he said.
He further urged, “…Across the aisle, we have to commit ourselves to ensure that no cedi should be spared in ensuring that facilities and personnel are made available to attend to the health needs of our people… This should not be a matter that is politicised in any way.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Health Minister announced that the current NDC government will tackle Ghana’s persistent “no bed syndrome” in hospitals.
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