Hamza Suhuyini, a member of teh National Democratic Congress Communications team and lawyer has praised the Ministry of Health for its swift response to recent controversies in healthcare sector, while also backing concerns raised by doctors and nurses over the public disclosure of names linked to an investigative report.
Speaking during a discussion on challenges confronting healthcare delivery on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on May 8, Suhuyini described the speed with which the Health Ministry constituted a committee to investigate the death of a patient identified as Charles Amissah as commendable.
According to him, the committee’s ability to produce recommendations within days demonstrated urgency and commitment rarely associated with public investigations in Ghana.
“We all know the fate of committees in this country. It takes forever to even get findings, but this one was timely and showed commitment to respond to the exigencies of the time,” he said.
He also commended the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, for personally responding to incidents at hospitals, including a visit to Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital, following another reported incident.
“This is not a minister who warms chairs. He understands that his work goes beyond the four corners of his office because we are dealing with lives,” he stated.
However, the Lawyer Suhuyini said he understood the reservations expressed by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association and the Ghana Medical and Dental Association over the publication of names of health practitioners cited in the committee’s report.
Drawing from his legal background, he argued that the recommendations were not necessarily the final stage of the matter and that affected individuals still retained the right to challenge decisions taken against them.
“For all you know, these people can appeal. So the concern that maybe the names should not have been made public is something we can appreciate,” he said.
He warned that publicly identifying health workers accused of negligence could erode patient confidence even after disciplinary processes are completed.
“Your confidence will wane when a doctor attends to you and you know that this was one of the doctors suspended for A, B and C,” he added.
Hamza Suhuyini called for clearer protocols on how disciplinary matters involving health professionals should be handled in future to avoid unnecessary ridicule while ensuring accountability.
On the broader healthcare debate, he rejected attempts to attribute challenges such as the no bed syndrome solely to one political administration, describing the issue as a “collective failure” spanning successive governments since 1992.
“If we still have such challenges, it must be a blow not only on the NDC but on the NPP as well,” he said.
He further defended ongoing government efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure and logistics, including the procurement of beds and medical equipment as well as the introduction of Free Primary healthcare which provides alternative transport systems for hard to reach communities.
According to him, criticisms of initiatives such as motor tricycle ambulances fail to appreciate the realities in remote parts of the country where conventional ambulances may struggle to operate.
“This is a developing nation. You look for alternative means of transport that can access those hinterlands, and that is what a proactive government does,” he said.
