President of the Ghana Academy of Forensic Sciences, Dr. Pet-Paul Wepeba, says the decision to fly DNA samples from victims of Wednesday’s military helicopter crash to South Africa was due to Ghana’s lack of advanced forensic logistics, not a shortage of skilled personnel.
Speaking on Newsfile on Joy News, Dr. Wepeba explained that while Ghana has the human resource and technical expertise to carry out complex DNA analysis, the country has not invested in the necessary infrastructure and equipment to handle high-intensity forensic work within tight timelines.
“We have the human resource, but we don’t have the capacity,” he said.
“They [SA] have certain genetic analysers which could have been used to do this. But under the circumstances, we have Muslim brothers and all of that in there, we want to have the remains identified as soon as we can, so we can bury them. If you’re going to use traditional methods for the identification, it will take time.”
According to him, advanced methods such as next-generation sequencing, which are available in South Africa, can deliver faster and more precise results, an essential factor in this case where most of the victims were burned beyond recognition.
“But if you go to a place where they have these advance, methods like next generation sequencing and all of that, it becomes fairly easy to undertake the process on time, but Ghana hasn’t invested in that area,” he said.
Dr. Wepeba stressed that the capacity gap extends beyond human identification. He noted that in incidents such as market fires, forensic chemistry is critical for determining the cause by analyzing recovered evidence.
However, without the right equipment and laboratory resources, Ghana is forced to send such samples abroad.
“So that is why I want to have this discussion, to bring on board government that we have the human resource, all we need is just to be able to help maintain that.”
He urged government to prioritize investment in forensic infrastructure, arguing that with the right logistical support, Ghana’s existing expertise could handle such investigations locally and avoid costly and time-consuming outsourcing.
“It isn’t only human identification. Over the years, we’ve been having fire outbreaks, market fire outbreaks, and all of that. The fire service would go there they gather the evidence and all of that you need forensics, you need, forensic chemistry, to be able to determine the component that you recover from the scene or from the seat of the fire. If you just collect them and you cannot determine the composition, it is of no use. They send it out. It can’t be done here, but we can do it if we have the, you know, the logistical capacity.”
The tragic crash in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region claimed eight lives, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, and three Air Force crew members.
The DNA testing in South Africa aims to ensure accurate identification of the severely burned remains before burial.
Source: Kenneth Awotwe Darko
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