The Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) has refuted claims that the body of a Rwandan official who died at the facility has gone missing.
The high-profile Rwandan official was brought to the hospital for treatment after reportedly contracting the novel coronavirus.
He passed away on 9 July 2020, and his death was followed by reports that his body had gone missing.
The reports suggested that the family of the deceased could not find his body, which prompted further speculation that the hospital may have buried the body.
However, in a statement, the management of Ridge Hospital vehemently denied the claims, describing the reports as false.
Released for burial
The hospital said that, contrary to the reports, the body of the dead man has been released to his family.
According to the Ridge management, the body was initially at the hospital’s mortuary, but has since been returned for burial.
Ridge Hospital assured the public that it is committed to delivering quality service to patients and other clientele.
“Management wishes to state that the body was available at the hospital’s mortuary and has been duly identified by members of the deceased’s family,” the statement from Ridge said.
“However, the body has since been released from our mortuary for the necessary burial arrangements.”
Source of dispute
Ridge Hospital has been embroiled in controversies in recent months following accusations of negligence by its staff.
This month, the director of the Ghana Institute of Languages sued the facility over the death of his pregnant wife and unborn child.
Emmanuel Kobina Kuto prayed the court to place an interlocutory injunction restraining the medical director of the Ridge Hospital and Ghana Health Service from conducting any autopsy on the dead woman until the final determination of the case by the court.
In a separate case, a family took the hospital to court claiming that their relative, who died at the facility, was buried without their notice.
In a third case, a young man called Mohammed Mustapha is seeking GHC5 million in compensation from Ridge Hospital following the death of his own wife and unborn child in December 2019.
E A Alanore
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