The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has rejected the findings of a ministerial committee set up to investigate the alleged as
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has rejected the findings of a ministerial committee set up to investigate the alleged assault of a rotation nurse at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, otherwise known as Ridge Hospital, insisting the report was biased and failed to address the root causes of the incident.
On August 17, 2025, chaos broke out at the Emergency Department of Ridge Hospital after social media activist Ralph St. William clashed with nurses over what he described as delays in attending to an accident victim.
The confrontation allegedly escalated into a physical altercation, during which rotatio n nurse Rejoice Tsotso Bortei claimed she sustained a shoulder dislocation.
The public outrage that followed prompted the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, to constitute a special investigative committee to probe the matter.
The committee’s report, released on August 27, 2025, concluded that there was no medical evidence to support claims of a dislocated shoulder and therefore dismissed allegations of assault.
However, speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on August 30, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of GRNMA, Jefferson Asare, strongly criticized the report, describing it as “unfair” and incomplete.
“The committee wasn’t fair in their dealings. Their report does not reflect what actually happened on the ground. What about the factors that led to this—the woefully inadequate nursing staff at the emergency unit, reduced from 88 to 44? These are the issues we should be discussing and finding solutions so that our health system can improve,” Asare argued.
According to him, the committee seemed more interested in clearing the accused activist rather than conducting a comprehensive probe into systemic lapses at Ridge Hospital.
He stressed that the nursing shortage, high patient load, and resource constraints played a significant role in escalating tensions on the day of the incident.
Background to the Case
The Ridge Hospital case has sparked widespread debate about attacks on healthcare workers, a recurring issue in Ghana’s health sector.
In recent years, nurses and doctors have reported incidents of verbal and physical abuse from frustrated patients or relatives, often citing long delays and inadequate staffing as the root cause.
Health sector unions, including GRNMA, have consistently warned that the chronic shortage of nurses and midwives across the country is pushing the system to a breaking point.
At Ridge Hospital, one of Accra’s busiest referral centers, the Emergency Department alone has seen its staff strength cut by half, from 88 nurses to just 44, worsening response times during emergencies.
Government Response
The Ministry of Health has defended the committee’s work, insisting that all parties were heard and that the findings were based on evidence rather than sentiment.
Officials maintain that while staffing challenges remain a concern, the specific allegation of physical assault could not be substantiated medically.
Nonetheless, the GRNMA says it will continue to push for a holistic review of working conditions for nurses and midwives while demanding greater protection for its members in the line of duty.
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