The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HEFRA) has commenced investigations into the death of a 31-year-old woman following a caesarean section at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital.
The agency says it is awaiting a formal report from the hospital’s management to determine the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death and whether there were any breaches of duty of care.
The deceased, Theresa Boakye Dapaah, died after giving birth to her first child at the facility.
Her husband, Daniel Ofori-Sarpong, has publicly raised allegations of negligence against the hospital and its medical staff.
Speaking on Accra-based Starr FM, the Chief Executive Officer of HEFRA, Dr Winfred Korletey Baah, said the agency had already engaged the hospital’s management and was expecting its report shortly.
“So, in this case, and I’ve talked to the CEO for Ridge Hospital, we have started investigations, and they will send a report to us very soon,” Dr Baah said.
He explained that the outcome of the investigation would determine whether disciplinary action should be taken against any health professional or the facility itself.
“All those who are found to have breached their duty of care… to have breached their duty of care, we are going to sanction them. And the facility, if there are systemic lapses, we will sanction the facility,” he stated.
Dr Baah said where the investigation establishes that a doctor breached professional standards, the matter would be referred to the Medical and Dental Council for further disciplinary action.
He added that nurses found culpable would similarly be referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Beyond individual responsibility, Dr Baah said the investigation would also examine whether broader institutional or systemic failures may have contributed to the incident.
“Where systemic issues are identified, HEFRA would direct the facility to implement corrective measures, such as ensuring senior doctors handle complex cases or improving the quality of medical supplies, and require evidence of compliance,” he added.
The HEFRA CEO stressed that the agency would rely on the findings of the investigation before determining the appropriate action.
He said the case also presented an opportunity to identify weaknesses within the health system and introduce measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The investigation remains ongoing, with HEFRA expected to review Ridge Hospital’s report before deciding on the next steps.
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