Former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Justice Yankson, says Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa should have stepped aside from the committee that investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of hit-and-run victim Charles Amissah.
His comments come after the Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa-led committee concluded that Charles Amissah died as a result of medical negligence after he was allegedly denied admission at the Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital due to the unavailability of beds.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV, Dr. Yankson questioned what he described as a possible conflict of interest.
According to him, Prof. Akosa’s role as Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) raises concerns because the same council could eventually oversee disciplinary proceedings involving some of the health professionals mentioned in the report.
He argued that the situation could affect public confidence in the impartiality of any future disciplinary process.
“Others have raised the issue that the good professor probably should have recused himself from the committee looking at the nature of what was to come. Potentially some of these doctors could end up at the Medical and Dental Council as has happened,” he said.
Dr. Yankson acknowledged that Prof. Akosa may not personally sit on any disciplinary panel but maintained that his position as chairman of the council still presents concerns.
“Yes, somebody may say that the entire processes might not involve him directly because he might not sit on the panel but at the end of the day, for their licence to be suspended, it is not the Registrar that will take the decision, it is the council chaired by him,” he stated.
He also questioned what could happen if future disciplinary findings do not align with the conclusions already made public by the committee.
“If the findings are not in tandem with the public commentary, what do we do?” he asked.
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