Andrew Appiah-Danquah is a spokesperson for the Movement for Change
Private legal practitioner and spokesperson for the Movement for Change, Andrew Appiah-Danquah, has criticised the conduct of health minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, following the assault on nurses at the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
The minister visited the hospital following reports of the incident, with the ministry’s Head of Communications, Tony Goodman, explaining that the visit was meant to boost staff morale.
However, footage from the visit, showing the minister hugging and patting the back of the alleged perpetrator, has sparked controversy.
In a citinewsroom.com report on August 23, 2025, Appiah-Danquah argued that the minister’s actions undermined the very purpose of his visit and sent a damaging signal to the victims.
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“The Minister of Health, you want to tell me that you did not have any briefing on who caused it? Then your actions, beyond the hugging seen on the video, patting the back of the gentleman, if his purpose was to go and raise the morale of the people, then the action he took was not right,” he stated.
He added that at a time when healthcare workers needed assurance and solidarity, the minister’s public friendliness toward the alleged attacker suggested sympathy for the aggressor rather than the victims.
Appiah-Danquah also drew attention to broader systemic failings, particularly the police’s inaction in what he described as a clear criminal case.
“I think the systemic failure is not just with regards to the hospital itself but with the entire system. Because the question is: must the minister call the police before they effect an arrest?” he asked.
He stressed that the incident, involving an alleged assault and public disturbance, was a criminal matter that should have triggered immediate police action without the need for political intervention.
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MRA/EB
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