Ghana Health Service is inept – Physician Assistants say as they demand release of incarcerated member

The Leadership of the Ghana Physician Assistants Association have mounted a spirited defense for embattled member who has been incarcerated following the death of three persons at the New Senchi Health Centre after they were injected with penicillin injections.
According to group, Mr. Simon Takrama was not directly involved in the injection of the Benzathine Penicillin which led to the unfortunate death of three persons.
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Mr. Takrama was arrested together with the Disease Control Officer, Mames Yeboah, who administered the injections that are suspected to have led to three deaths.
He is still at the Akuse Prisons pending investigations by the Ghana Health Service.
But the Ghana Physician Assistant Association, in their statement said Mr. Takrama is being used as a “sacrificial lamb” to cover up the incompetence in the Ghana Health Service.
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“This death saga had exposed a lot of lapses in the Ghana Health Service setting and instead of admitting their ineptitude in terms of their supervisory and administrative roles, an innocent Physician Assistant, husband and father is unjustifiably incarcerated at Akuse Prisons as a sacrificial lamb”.
They have therefore given the Health Service 48 hours to release Mrr. Takrama or face their wrath.
Below is the full statement:
THE INCARCERATION OF MR SIMON TAKRAMA (A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT) IN THE BENZATHINEPENICILLIN DEATHS SAGA AT NEW SENCHI HEALTH CENTRE: A DEMONSTRATION OF A POORLYDECENTRALIZED HEALTH SERVICE SYSTEM IN GHANA
The Leadership of the Ghana Physician Assistant Association is highly dismayed by the actions and inactions of the Ghana Health Service represented at the Asuogyaman District by the District Director of Health Service, in the processes leading to the incarceration of Mr. Simon Takrama, a Physician Assistant at who was not directly involved in the injection of the Benzathine Penicillin which led to the unfortunate death of three persons.
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It is worth bringing it again to the attention of the general public that the Disease Control Officer, Mr. James Yeboahwho gave the Injection Benzathine Penicillin resulting in the deaths had been practicing illegally at the New SenchiHealth Centre for the past six (6) years after retirement at the full glare of the District Health Directorate before thePhysician Assistant was posted to the facility on 1 7th November, 201 7.
All this while, the Eastern Regional Health Directorate and the Asuogyaman District Health Directorate had turned a blind eye to the illegal activities of the Disease Control Officer because they are in bed with him as the said officer had been giving monthly reports directlyto the Asuogyaman District Health Directorate.
Preliminary investigations by the Association also revealed that some officers at the District Health Directorate have been benefiting financially from the activities of the retired officer.
How then can our colleague who had not being mandated by the District Health Directorate to play that supervisory role over the Disease Control Unit as the facility head be implicated in the mess created by a retired personnel sanctioned by the same service?
Can the District Health Director and Human Resource Manager come out boldly to deny the activities of the retired Disease Control Officer? If they claimed they are unaware of the activities of Mr. James Yeboah, what steps were taken to address the issue?
This death saga had exposed a lot of lapses in the Ghana Health Service setting and instead of admitting their ineptitude in terms of their supervisory and administrative roles, an innocent Physician Assistant, husband and father is unjustifiably incarcerated at Akuse Prisons as a sacrificial lamb.
The Association is by this press release demanding for the immediate release of the Physician Assistant, Mr. Simon Takrama within 48 hours by the complainant which is the Asuogyaman District Health Directorate. All Physician Assistants in the District and Region are hereby advised to boycott all medical services as a sign of solidarity to our comrade till he is released.
This continuous attempt by the Health Service to gag the Physician Assistant into submission and oblivion would no longer be accommodated.
The Service and public should know the Physician Assistant is indispensable in Primary Health Care Delivery. Enough is enough. Ghana Health Service should know that it is not beyond being sued.
#FREE SIMON TAKRAMA NOW#
Signed: Alhaji Chief Imoro Bandana II (President)
Peter Eyram Kuenyefu (Acting General Secretary)
Philip Quarshie (National PRO)