‘Resign if You’re Exhausted’ — Parliamentary Select Committee on Health Rebukes Medical Officers Over Charles Amissah Death

The Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, has urged medical professionals who feel overwhelmed or exhausted by the demands of the profession to resign rather than compromise healthcare standards and patient safety.

His comments follow findings by an investigative committee chaired by Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa into the death of Charles Amissah, which concluded that the victim died as a result of medical neglect and not from injuries sustained in the initial hit-and-run incident.

Speaking during an engagement with the investigative committee, Dr. Nawaane stressed that improving healthcare delivery goes beyond infrastructure and equipment, insisting that individual responsibility and professional ethics remain central to quality medical care.

“We are saying that it is beyond just the facilities; it is the individuals. Please, if you are a medical professional and you are tired of the work, you can resign. Ghana will survive,” he said.

He noted that healthcare workers have a duty to uphold professional ethics and should not hesitate to seek assistance when confronted with situations beyond their competence.

“If you are ready to work, there are ethics. If you can’t do something, you call your colleague doctor or senior doctor. One funny thing about the senior doctors is that they are always happy to be called,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prof. Badu Akosa called on government authorities to ensure the committee’s recommendations are implemented, warning against a repeat of past investigative reports that were shelved without action.

He noted that similar incidents had occurred in the past, with findings often left unimplemented.

“We believe that this is not the first time an event like this has happened. Committee reports were done and the reports collected dust. We want to ensure that this report does not collect dust but is acted upon,” he said.