The Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, has slammed what he calls attempts by the Minority in Parliament to politicize the assault on healthcare workers at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.
The incident, which was captured in a viral video, involved relatives of an accident victim clashing with emergency staff over alleged delays in treatment.
The altercation reportedly led to the assault of a nurse by social media commentator Ralph St. William, forcing hospital authorities to call in the police.
The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, later visited the hospital to condemn the incident and pledged stronger security measures.
However, his public handshake with Ralph triggered backlash from the Minority and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), who said the gesture could embolden similar acts of misconduct.
In a statement, the Minority accused the government of protecting individuals linked to the ruling NDC, warning that such actions undermine public trust and weaken the morale of overstretched health professionals.
Dr. Nawaane, however, during a press briefing dismissed the accusations, insisting the focus should remain on justice for the assaulted staff rather than partisan blame games.
He assured healthcare workers that Parliament’s Health Committee fully supports them and will press for accountability.
“They are saying that the perpetrators are individuals aligned with or have a sympathetic relation with the NDC. I thought that given what happened, we would unite as a nation and condemn it. Yet, they are trying to say that these are people aligned with the NDC. That is very unfortunate,” he said.
