In a tragedy that has sparked national outrage and soul-searching within Ghana’s healthcare system, the family of a 29-year-old man who died after being turned away from three major hospitals is grappling with a devastating loss made all the more cruel by fate.
Charles Amissah, an engineer at Promasidor Ghana Limited, succumbed to his injuries on [Date of Death – e.g., February 18, 2026], nearly two weeks after a hit-and-run accident in Accra. His death, which could have been prevented with timely medical intervention, is compounded by the fact that he was the brother of two medical doctors—including an award-winning emergency care specialist.
Dr. (Med.) Matilda Amissah, a medical officer at the Emergency Unit of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and a recent recipient of the Osabarima Royal Award for Best Department Emergency, fought back tears as she described the preventable nature of her only brother’s death.
“There are 1,000 ways to save a shoulder injury like his,” Dr. Amissah told the Daily Graphic, her voice breaking. “But nobody looked. Nobody looked.”
A Three-Hour Ordeal
On the evening of February 6, Charles was riding his motorcycle home to Adenta after work when he was struck by a vehicle at the Nkrumah Circle Overpass in Accra. Suffering from a deep laceration to his shoulder and bleeding profusely, he was rushed by the National Ambulance Service to the Police Hospital.
What followed was a desperate, three-hour odyssey. According to the family, the ambulance was redirected from the Police Hospital to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), and finally to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. At each facility, the medical team on duty reportedly refused to provide emergency care, citing a lack of space.
By the time the ambulance reached Korle Bu, Charles’s condition had deteriorated so severely that the ambulance service deemed him too unstable to be transported to the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC). Shortly after, he went into cardiac arrest. Despite immediate attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), he was pronounced dead.
A Doctor’s Helplessness and a Nation’s Shame
For Dr. Amissah, who has dedicated her career to saving lives in emergency situations, the news of her brother’s death was a profound and personal blow. “I’ve saved lives, and people come to thank me at the emergency unit,” she said. “In less than a month, this is what has happened to my brother. It’s heartbreaking.”
She emphasised that the tragedy exposes a fundamental flaw in the system, where access to emergency care is a gamble rather than a guarantee.
“Emergency care should not be dependent on whether you are related to a doctor or a politician,” Dr. Amissah stated. “Everyone deserves care, regardless. Right now, people are scared—scared that if something happens and you call for help, there may be no bed.”
The incident has sent shockwaves through the country. In response, the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital management and the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), has interdicted two doctors and two nurses pending the outcome of a formal investigation.
Officials from HeFRA have since contacted the family to express condolences, acknowledging that an error had occurred.
A Family in Mourning
Beyond the public outrage, the Amissah family is left to pick up the pieces. Dr. Amissah described her brother as a quiet, reserved individual with incredible engineering skills. His death has shattered the family, particularly his mother, who is struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
While calls for legal action and systemic reform grow louder, the family’s immediate focus is on giving Charles a dignified farewell. Funeral arrangements are underway for Friday, February 27, at the Resurrection Methodist Chapel in Adenta.
“We haven’t discussed legal action,” Dr. Amissah said. “We want to lay him to rest first.”
His workplace, Promasidor Ghana Limited, has stepped in to provide substantial support, covering more than 50 per cent of the burial costs.
The death of Charles Amissah has become a tragic symbol of the failings in Ghana’s emergency medical response system, prompting urgent calls for legislative action and a renewed commitment to the principle that every life is worth saving.
