The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Jefferson Asare, has advised nurses to remove themselves from unsafe working environments if they feel their lives are at risk.
Speaking in an interview on August 23, Asare reminded health workers that the Labour Act protects their right to prioritize personal safety in dangerous situations.
“This is a message to every nurse: the moment you feel unsafe in your work environment, step away. The Labour Act is very clear if the environment poses a danger, you are allowed to remove yourself. It doesn’t mean go home, but get out of immediate harm’s way,” he explained.
Asare revealed that Ridge Hospital alone has recorded at least five separate attacks on nurses this year, a trend he described as alarming and unacceptable.
“I’m not saying nurses shouldn’t report to duty, but if you’re in a crowded emergency ward with about 50 aggressive individuals, and you remain there, you’re risking your life. They could kill you. In such cases, protect yourself step out of that environment.”
His remarks come in the wake of a viral video capturing a violent confrontation between relatives of a patient and medical staff at Ridge Hospital’s emergency unit, sparking widespread concern over the safety of health professionals in high-pressure facilities.
In response, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has commissioned a committee to investigate the incident, with a report expected by Monday, August 25.
Meanwhile, Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, one of the nurses assaulted during the chaos, has filed a GHS 7 million lawsuit against social media personality Ralph Saint Williams also known as “Ralph De Fellow Ghanaian” accusing him of physical assault and defamation related to the incident.
