EMTs risked their lives trying to save Charles Amissah - Specialist

Charles Amissah died after being involved in a hit-and-run accident at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Overpass. An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) specialist, Daniel Asare, said personnel of the National Ambulance Service did everything possible to save the late Charles Amissah after the accident. He reacted to findings from a government-appointed committee, which concluded that the 29-year-old died from medical neglect and denial of emergency care after being turned away by three hospitals in Accra. Daniel Asare said he "was also saddened by that statement when the presentation was going on."

Daniel Asare defended the emergency responders and insisted they acted professionally under difficult and dangerous conditions. He stated, "The EMTs did their best in the interest of saving the late Charles Amissah." The EMTs who arrived at the accident scene faced poor visibility because there was no functioning lighting system on the Kwame Nkrumah Circle overhead. Daniel Asare explained, "The account the EMTs gave us from the incident scene on the top of Circle overhead was that there was no lighting system, so visibility was a bit poor." The emergency team risked their own safety while trying to rescue the victim as vehicles continued moving through the area.

The EMTs managed to stabilise the situation enough to transport Charles Amissah into the ambulance and rush him to the Police Hospital. Daniel Asare explained, "But they were able to manage to put him into the ambulance and send him to the police hospital." The decision to take the victim to the Police Hospital was based on both proximity and the nature of the accident. Daniel Asare said, "The reason why they send the case to the police hospital was that most of the time when we have these road traffic crashes, there will be a form of investigation and other things," and "So they thought that going to the police hospital would be the most prudent