The committee established by the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, to probe the recent assault incident at Ridge Hospital has concluded its investigations, ruling out claims that the alleged victim, Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, sustained a shoulder dislocation during the altercation.
The report, submitted to the Minister on Wednesday, August 27, indicated that medical examinations conducted at the hospital showed no signs of a fracture in her left wrist or a dislocation in her right shoulder joint, contrary to initial reports.
According to the committee, Bortei, who is a rotation nurse at the facility, only reported her injuries a day after the alleged assault on August 18.
Medical officers documented that she was treated for pain, prescribed medication, recommended for bed rest, and placed under psychological support care to help her cope with the trauma.
These findings contradict earlier claims by the nurse that the physical attack left her with a dislocated shoulder. The clarification comes in the wake of a viral video showing heated confrontations between relatives of a patient and hospital staff at Ridge Hospital’s emergency department.
The footage, which quickly spread across social media, sparked outrage and renewed debate over the safety and protection of frontline health workers.
In response to the incident and the public backlash, Minister Akandoh directed the immediate formation of the committee to establish the facts. The development has since drawn sharp criticism from professional associations, including nursing and midwifery bodies, which have condemned the assault and demanded stronger security measures at health facilities nationwide.
Meanwhile, Bortei has filed a civil lawsuit against social media commentator Ralph Saint Williams, widely known as “Ralph De Fellow Ghanaian.”
In her suit, she is demanding GHS 7 million in damages for alleged physical assault and defamation stemming from the incident. The case is expected to test the boundaries of accountability in both physical confrontations at healthcare facilities and the role of social media in amplifying such disputes.
