The lawyer representing the family of the late Charles Amissah has explained the reasons behind the family’s decision to take legal action over the circumstances surrounding the death of the 29-year-old, stressing that the suit is not only about compensation but also about driving reforms in Ghana’s emergency healthcare system.
Emmanuel Darkwah, counsel for Matilda Amissah, who is the sister of the deceased, said that the family believes the suit should serve a broader public interest purpose, particularly by highlighting gaps in emergency medical response and encouraging accountability among healthcare professionals and institutions.
According to him, the legal action is intended to push for systemic change and to ensure that similar incidents do not recur, especially in situations where alleged negligence may have contributed to preventable deaths.
Emmanuel Darkwah emphasised that beyond the financial aspect of the case, the central motivation of the family is reform.
He argued that the value of human life cannot be reduced to monetary compensation alone and that the outcome of the case should ideally spark reflection and improvement within the medical profession.
“What is money? You may get the GH¢20 million today, and tomorrow you are dead, but I think that there needs to be some reforms. This should be a deterrent to other professionals because it can happen to anyone.
“Assuming we go to court and we are successful and you hear that for GH¢20 million damages was awarded against the professionals, if I am a professional, I will sit up.”
