The investigative committee probing the August 17 incident at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) has submitted its report to Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, clearing allegations of a physical assault on a nurse but revealing severe systemic challenges at the facility.

The incident, which went viral after video footage surfaced online, drew widespread condemnation and renewed public debate over conditions at Ghana’s busiest emergency centre.

The committee found no evidence of delays in attending to a patient with a suspected head injury, the case that sparked the confrontation.

However, it noted that all diagnostic imaging equipment — including the X-ray, CT scan, and MRI machines — was non-functional.

This forced staff to rely on external facilities for urgent tests, causing treatment delays and fueling public frustration.

While viral videos captured a heated verbal exchange between Mr. Ralph St. Williams, some riders, and hospital staff, investigators said there was no visual or eyewitness confirmation of a physical attack.
The alleged victim, Ms. Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, a rotation nurse, later reported left-hand pain but was diagnosed with no fractures or dislocations.

She received pain relief and psychological support.

The report described security at the Emergency Department as “grossly inadequate.”

Only one private security officer covered each 12-hour shift, despite the facility’s heavy patient load.
Although a police post exists within the hospital premises, its distance from the Emergency Department slowed emergency responses, forcing reliance on the Adabraka Police Command during crises.

The committee highlighted a critical shortfall of medical personnel.

In August, only one doctor was on duty per shift at the Emergency Department, supported by seven medical officers and two specialists for the entire month.
Nursing capacity was also severely undermined: of the 88 nurses allocated, only 54 were at post, with 34 having abandoned their positions without replacements.

With nearly 100% bed occupancy at all times, Ridge Hospital’s Emergency Department has become the referral centre for most trauma and acute medical cases in Accra.

The closure of the La General Hospital has worsened the pressure, pushing more patients toward Ridge.

Mr. St. Williams, who was accused of leading the confrontation, denied physically assaulting any staff.

In a written submission accompanied by four video exhibits, he admitted being angered by remarks from a nurse but insisted his recordings — including a Facebook Live broadcast — were intended to highlight delays, not to intimidate staff.

The committee issued 12 recommendations, including:

Security: Increase the number of security officers at the Emergency Department, ensure the ED gate is always manned, expand CCTV coverage, and deploy police officers during weekends and night shifts.

Staffing: Recruit more emergency doctors, nurses, and administrative managers to handle patient flow.

Equipment: Repair or replace broken diagnostic machines, particularly X-ray, CT, and MRI scanners.

System-wide Reforms: Strengthen emergency care nationwide by building human resource capacity, expanding secondary-level facilities, and improving access to affordable diagnostic tools.

Public Engagement: Educate citizens on the functions of emergency units and ensure strict adherence to medical protocols by health professionals.

The Ridge Assault probe may have cleared doubts about a physical attack, but it has exposed chronic shortages in staff, equipment, and security at one of Ghana’s flagship hospitals.

The report warns that without urgent reforms, similar incidents could recur — threatening both staff safety and patient care.