An investigative committee report on the alleged unauthorized burial of one of the conjoined twins at the Ridge Hospital in Accra has uncovered serious irregularities and questionable actions.
Facts from the report indicate that on December 2, 2022, the current Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea instructed a nursing officer identified as PNO Rita Akoto to contact the mortuary concerning Elijah Addo’s body.
In the report, the PNO claims to have done the necessary documentation in the LHIMS but the evidence in the same report is contrary, to the extent that the mortuary interface did not show that the trans out documentation had been done.
Subsequently, the parents of the twins reportedly experienced difficulty in seeing the body of their dead child during multiple visits to the hospital’s main mortuary.
The committee’s recommendations included referral of two mortuary staff to the disciplinary committee for necessary disciplinary action.
This has raised further questions about why PNO Rita Akoto was not referred to the disciplinary committee, given her role and the inconsistency surrounding the documentation in her account.
The lack of documentation within the health sector has led to weak defence in medicolegal cases.
Should the Addo’s decide to go to court over this issue, this omission cannot be overlooked.
Madam Rita Akoto informed the committee that on the 2nd of December 2022, Professor Samuel Kaba told her to contact the morgue for Elijah Addo’s body to be taken away after he had passed away during the emergency final separation.
She said that from experience, the contact numbers on the morgue memo within the theatre space haven’t been reliable, so she contacted Comrade’s personal number.
Comrade got to the theatre and after the body had been prepared and labelled, Elijah Addo’s mother (Justine Bansah) and his auntie (Peace Kpikpi); accompanied Comrade together with the both to the temporary morgue at emergency.
Madam Rita Akoto further informed the committee that she ensures documentation of Elijah Addo on the system, including trans-out from the theatre interface to the morgue interface.
The findings, the management of the morgue, were not informed of the body of one of the conjoined twins (Elijah Addo) being sent to the mortuary. Trans-out of Elijah Addo’s details from the theatre to the morgue interface was not done.
Interestingly, many stakeholders are now calling for a fresh investigation to clarify the circumstances under which,
1. Elijah Addo died on that day
2. The circumstances surrounding the transfer of Elijah Addo to the Ridge mortuary and subsequent alleged burial
3. Whether the “lost” mortuary rounds book has been found or not?
4. Was the documentation in the pathology book complete and accurate?
The whereabouts of the body of Elijah Addo still remain unknown to date as it was not documented in the mass burial list, and the body cannot be located in the Ridge Mortuary.
For transparency and accountability, there is a public plea to the office of the President to help bring a closure to this mystery to prevent the ongoing rumors and discussions among health staff that has spilled into the public space.
A new investigation into this death and alleged burial of Elijah Addo and an independent clinical, procurement, and financial audit about this Siamese twin separation at Ridge Hospital be done.