Former Minister of Health, Bernard Okoe Boye, has called for restraint in the public discussion of the investigative report into the death of engineer Charles Amissah, warning against rushing to conclusions before the full contents of the document are properly examined.
According to him, findings from such sensitive investigations must be handled carefully to ensure fairness to all persons implicated.
He cautioned against making definitive public judgments based only on portions of the report that have entered the public domain.
Dr Okoe Boye argued that a balanced approach is necessary, particularly because of the reputational and professional consequences such pronouncements may have on individuals involved in the matter.
He noted that in many jurisdictions, complete reports together with supporting evidence are made available to provide proper context before conclusions are drawn.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Thursday, May 7, the former minister said the committee’s findings should be viewed as a preliminary assessment rather than a final determination of guilt.
“You should have an issue when you have a committee that is speaking to the whole country making categorical statements for individuals when we’ve not read the report to see the comments they made,” he stated.
He further expressed confidence that institutions tasked with handling the matter, including professional bodies, would still follow due process before imposing any sanctions.
“I give them credit but I take their work as a prima facie establishment where on the surface of it these guys are wrong,” he said, adding that disciplinary bodies would not simply punish individuals without proper review.
His comments come amid concerns raised by the Ghana Medical Association over the public naming of doctors and health professionals in the report.
The Association has warned that some individuals implicated are facing online abuse, threats and hostility following the release of the findings.
The controversy follows the release of a committee report which linked Charles Amissah’s death to alleged lapses in emergency medical care at several health facilities, including the Police Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
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