Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Mark Kurt Nawaane, has admitted that his recent comments urging exhausted medical professionals to resign may have sounded harsh, but they were intended to spark reflection within the healthcare profession.
Speaking after public reactions to his remarks on Citi FM’s The Big Issue on Saturday, May 9, Dr. Nawaane said he spoke out of concern as both a legislator and a member of the medical profession.
“Yes, it sounded quite harsh and as a member of the profession I really got a bit emotional,” he said.
He explained that he intended to encourage healthcare professionals to examine challenges within the system and push for improvements in service delivery.
“But of course I wanted the medical profession to take a very serious introspection of itself, and probably if this can lead to a reset of the profession,” he stated.
Dr. Nawaane added that although he believes his concerns were justified, he may have expressed them too strongly.
“I believe that speaking as a member of the medical association, from within I think that I have a case but probably I may have gone extreme,” he added.
His earlier comments came during discussions surrounding the findings of an investigative committee chaired by Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa into the death of Engineer Charles Amissah.
The committee concluded that the victim died due to medical neglect rather than injuries from the initial hit-and-run incident.
During that engagement, Dr. Nawaane said healthcare workers who are unable to cope with the demands of the profession should consider resigning instead of compromising patient care and safety.
Read more below
Charles Amissah death: Resign if you’re exhausted – Health Committee to medical officers
