The president of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, has attributed the death of Charles Amissah at the centre of a national controversy to deep-rooted systemic failures in Ghana’s healthcare system, cautioning against blaming individual health workers.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (8 May), Ofori-Ampofo said the case highlights longstanding weaknesses in emergency care delivery, including inadequate ambulance services, poor coordination between facilities, and severe staffing shortages.
“If you find yourself in an emergency in Ghana, the outcome is usually not the best because the system is not well built,” she said.
She pointed to gaps in pre-hospital care, noting that ambulance services often lack the personnel, logistics and coordination required to stabilise patients before reaching hospitals.
The GRNMA president also stressed that health workers are operating under intense pressure due to poor nurse-to-patient ratios, leading to burnout and compromised care delivery.
According to her, Ghana’s inability to employ thousands of trained nurses and midwives, despite existing shortages, further worsens the situation.
Ofori-Ampofo warned that focusing solely on individuals involved in the case risks ignoring the broader structural problems that continue to cost lives.
“We must use this incident to address systemic challenges, not to scapegoat professionals,” she said.
She added that without urgent reforms, similar incidents could recur, urging authorities to prioritise health investment and emergency care infrastructure.
Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra)
Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale)
Listen online: atlanticafricanews.com/, Sound Garden and TuneIn
Follow us:
X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073
Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaasepa107.3
LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, AsaasePa107.3
YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra
Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/050 009 0121, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652.
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand
