The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) have threatened to lay down their tools should the government and the Public Services Commission fail to sanction the Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme,Mr Alex Opoku-Mensah, affectionately known as Omens, who reportedly went to the Manhyia Government Hospital in Kumasi to have an altercation with a nurse on duty.
On Sunday, 27 November, 2022 a nurse at the hospital placed a call to a house officer at the heath facility, who happens to be the daughter of Mr Alex Opoku-Mensah,to come and alter a prescription for a patient, from the hospital’s E-Health system and also update the patient’s prescription order.
The said house officer, upon receipt of the message, came to the hospital with her father,to verbally assault the nurse for allegedly speaking to his daughter in a manner that was disrespectful.
In an audio intercepted by The Chronicle, the Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme asked the nurse:“What kind of course did you read in Senior High School? You are very frustrated, who born dog! You envy her, you don’t respect, are you a doctor? Who are you? Are you mad? Is the hospital yours? Stupid idiot!”
Mr Alex Opoku-Mensah continued, “That your useless nursing that you do, useless woman. Do you know who I am? I am the regional Director of the National Service Scheme, some of you are under me.”
The virtually besieged nurse at this point responded by saying: “She is a doctor, me too I am a nurse, we are all catering for patients and I have to call her and inform her if something goes wrong.”
The GRNMA in a statement issued yesterday and signed by Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo and David Tenkorang-Twum, called on the government to sack the NSS Director from office, since his behaviour sins against the conduct of a public servant.
“The Public Service Commission and Government for that matter, should sack the Regional Director because he is not fit for the Director position he holds in the Public Service.He has absolutely no right to enter Manhyia District Hospital and verbally abuse and threaten the nurse in question, who was on duty at the time.
The statement noted that as a Director, Mr Alex Opoku-Mensah should have known that Manhyia District Hospital had a Medical Superintendent and a Nurse Manager, under whom the nurse works and if indeed he had any complaint to make, they were the people he should have engaged and not to go and fight the nurse on behalf of his daughter.
“We wish to state categorically that if the government does not relieve Mr. Alex Opoku-Mensah of his duty as Ashanti Regional Director of the National Service Scheme within 72 hours, nurses and midwives of Manhyia Hospital will be called upon to lay down their tools, followed by the whole of Ashanti Region and then it will escalate to the whole nation.”
It called on the Management of Manhyia Hospital to ensure that the House Officer (doctor) is schooled on her role in the Medical Team and the fact that Nurses and Midwives are patients’ advocates and will continue to advocate for their patients and clients even if it makes another member in the team uncomfortable.
The GRNMA directed her local Ashanti Region Branch leaders to report Mr. Alex Opoku- Mensah to the police immediately and report the same to the GRNMA Headquarters.
UNQUALIFIED APOLOGY
Meanwhile, Mr Opoku-Mensah has rendered an unqualified apology on his Facebook wall to the nursing fraternity over his conduct. The following is what he wrote. I understand the disappointment and appreciate the inconvenience my action has caused the general public as well as the Nursing FRATERNITY and Manhyia Hospital.
This has never been my style, but for a genuine reason to mediate a persistent issue between my daughter(Doctor) and a colleague nurse who I as well consider my daughter. I do apologise for any mishap and assure all, there shall not be a repetition of such.I look forward to maintaining a cordial relationship between any affected person.
Best Regards.
