Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has called for urgent accountability following reports that a victim of a hit-and-run accident was allegedly turned away by three major hospitals due to the unavailability of bed space.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, February 24, Mr Ayariga said the incident, which has reignited public outrage over emergency response failures in the health system, reflects deeper systemic problems that must not be ignored.
“Speaker, I speak as somebody who was kept alive because the emergency ward of a hospital worked for me, and it must work for everybody, every citizen,” he said.
The Majority Leader expressed disbelief that an accident victim could reportedly be moved from hospital to hospital without receiving immediate emergency care.
“In some jurisdictions, there would have been public outrage… that an accident victim was moved from hospital to hospital, and the medical personnel there refused to treat it as an emergency,” he stated.
Describing the development as troubling, Mr Ayariga said such cases speak to a broader national concern.
“It says everything about us as a country. The indiscipline, the disregard for human life, the lack of fellow feeling, that we don’t see that this is a fellow Ghanaian,” he said.
He stressed that Parliament must ensure the matter does not fade away without consequences.
“We must be outraged about a thing like this. Mr Speaker, I believe that we must get to the bottom of matters like this,” he said.
Referencing a similar incident in 2018, Mr Ayariga questioned whether lessons had been learnt and whether those responsible were ever held accountable.
“It happened in 2018. What happened? What did we do? How did those accountable fare at that time? This is what those who have done it today will be inspired by. They will talk, they will do nothing,” he warned.
He insisted that this time must be different.
“We want to see action this time. We want to see people held accountable so that the rest of the health personnel across the country will know that this Parliament will not sit idly by whilst people negligently lead to the loss of life,” he said.
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Although government has announced the setting up of a committee to investigate the matter, the Majority Leader urged Parliament’s Health Committee to actively monitor the process and report back to the House.
“If we are not satisfied with the outcome and the conclusions of government, that this Parliament takes very drastic action,” he added.
He concluded by reminding the House of its core responsibility.
“It is only then that citizens will know that when we converge here, we converge here for their very existence. We are here to defend their lives, to defend their rights, and to defend their interests.”
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