Deadline For Missing Babies’ Reports Expires


Suwaibatu Abdul Mumin and Sherry Ayittey
The deadline for the submission of reports by the Medical and Dental Council and the Nurses and Midwifery Council, on the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) missing babies’ saga to the Ministry of Health expired yesterday.

However, as at press time, only the Medical and Dental Council had handed over its report to the Health Ministry.

The Nurses and Midwifery Council was yet to present its report to the Ministry.

The two regulatory bodies for doctors and nurses were directed by the Minister of Health, Ms. Sherry Ayittey, about two weeks ago, to present their final reports of the investigations carried out on the conduct of two health professionals that led to the disappearance of the alleged still-born baby of one Suwaibatu Abdul Mumin at the KATH.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Tony Goodman, said in a telephone interview that the Nurses and Midwifery Council had asked for another extension of time in order for it to do a more diligent work.

Explaining the reason for the delay in submitting the reports, a source close to the Nurses and Midwifery Council intimated  that the Council made all the efforts to meet the deadline but was unable to do so because of the nature of the investigation.

‘We need to do a thorough work before we can accuse someone; we need to give the person the opportunity to also defend their action,’ the source said.

The Council, DAILY GUIDE learnt, had communicated the request for extension of deadline to the Health Ministry.

‘We will need about another two weeks for the completion of the investigation and report,’ the source said.

Mr. Goodman said the Ministry would study the report presented by the Medical and Dental Council, taking into consideration the decision of the Council.

The KATH has been in the news over the past months regarding the disappearance of three alleged still-born babies delivered at the facility.

The disappearance of the babies, especially that of Suwaibatu, and the inability of the hospital authorities to produce the dead babies, triggered public outcry over the professional conduct of health personnel at KATH.

As part of measures to solve the impasse between the family and the hospital authorities, the Health Minister gave a fourteen-day ultimatum for KATH to produce the dead bodies – a situation that led to the Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Professor Ohene Adjei, being asked to proceed on leave after the inability of his outfit to meet the deadline.

The doctor involved in the case and the midwife, under whose supervision the three alleged still-born babies went missing, were also directed to continue their indefinite leave until their supervising bodies – the Medical and Dental Council and the Nurses and Midwifery Council – had submitted their final reports and decisions taken.

 
 
 
 

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