A three-member committee investigating the death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah has concluded that he died from medical neglect rather than the injuries he sustained in a road accident, raising fresh concerns about Ghana’s emergency healthcare system.
Chairman of the committee, Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa addressing a press conference on Wednesday, said findings from the autopsy indicate that Amissah could have survived if he had received timely medical attention.
“And the pathology confirms a slow death from medical neglect and was not from the instant trauma. What it means is that if at any of these facilities, there had been medical intervention, Charles Amissah could have survived,” he said.
He explained that the cause of death was excessive blood loss resulting from a severe injury to the upper arm.
“Charles Amissah died of exsanguination, excessive loss of blood, due to an upper right arm bone and soft tissue injury, causing damage to the adductor,” he added.
Charles Amissah, an employee of Promasidor Ghana Limited, was knocked down in a hit-and-run incident near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Overpass on February 6, 2026.
He was first attended to by personnel from the National Ambulance Service, but later struggled to access emergency care. Reports indicate that he was turned away by several health facilities, including the Police Hospital, Ridge Hospital and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, reportedly due to a lack of available beds.
He died while still being transported for care, triggering widespread public outrage and renewed scrutiny of the country’s emergency response system.
The incident led to the formation of a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death, particularly concerns about delays in treatment and gaps in emergency care.
The findings have intensified calls for reforms in Ghana’s emergency healthcare system, particularly in ensuring timely access to critical care for accident victims.
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