Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, the immediate past Health Minister, has warned against drawing definitive conclusions before fully reviewing the document presented by the committee constituted by the Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh to probe into the unfortunate demise of engineer Charles Amissah.
In an interview on Channel One TV on Thursday, May 7, Dr. Okoe Boye questioned the practice of making categorical public pronouncements about individuals based on excerpts from a report that has not yet been comprehensively studied.
He stressed the need for a measured and fair approach in discussing the findings, particularly given the sensitivity of the matter and its potential implications for the individuals involved.
He argued that in other jurisdictions, full reports are released with detailed context and transcribed evidence, allowing readers to understand the basis for the findings better before conclusions are drawn.
Okoe Boye said he views the committee’s work as a preliminary or prima facie assessment rather than a final judgment on the individuals involved.
“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.
The former Health Minister’s comments follow the recent concern raised by the Ghana Medical Association over the public naming of doctors and health professionals in the official report.
According to the GMA, there have been widespread threats and abuse launched at the individuals implicated in the reports.
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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