Don’t rush into judging doctors named in Amissah probe – Okoe Boye

Former Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, has urged the public to exercise restraint in how it responds to the investigative report on the death of engineer Charles Amissah, cautioning against premature judgment of medical professionals mentioned in the findings.

He warned that drawing firm conclusions from portions of the report, without a full and careful review of its contents, risks unfairly shaping public perception against individuals who are yet to be fully heard or assessed through due process.

Dr Okoe Boye made the remarks in an interview with Selorm Adonoo on What the Papers are Saying on Thursday, May 7, where he also questioned the growing trend of making categorical public statements based on excerpts of official reports.

According to him, it is problematic when individuals are publicly implicated before the entire document is made available for scrutiny and proper understanding.

“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 said.

He further explained that in more established systems, investigative reports are usually released in full, often with detailed supporting evidence and transcripts, to ensure that conclusions are understood in their proper context.

For him, what has been released so far should be seen as an initial or surface-level assessment rather than a final determination of wrongdoing.

“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 stated.

Dr Okoe Boye also emphasized that such reports are typically not the final stage of accountability, noting that they are often forwarded to relevant professional and regulatory bodies for further review and action.

“That is why they are directing to specific agencies. I don’t believe that those they have directed to, GMA, will just say you’ve been directed here, you’ve been punished, go,” he added.

His intervention comes amid increasing public and professional debate over the handling of the report, particularly concerns raised by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) about the naming of doctors in the findings.

The GMA has warned that identifying medical professionals in the report exposes them to public backlash, online attacks, and personal safety risks, insisting that disciplinary processes must be handled in a way that preserves fairness while ensuring accountability.

The report in question concluded that the death of engineer Charles Amissah was linked to lapses in emergency medical response across several health facilities, including the Police Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Following its release, several health workers have been named, with the Ministry of Health expected to refer the individuals involved to the appropriate regulatory and professional bodies for further investigation and possible disciplinary action.