The Minority Health Caucus of Parliament has issued as statement in condemnation of a recent a chaotic incident at Ridge Hospital in Accra which was captured on video that showed a group of men verbally and physically assaulting health professionals at the hospital’s emergency unit.
On the same subject matter, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has warned that health workers may withdraw their services if violent attacks on medical staff are not stopped.
A statement signed by Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, Ranking Member, Health Committee and released on Tuesday, August 19, also called on the Ghana Police Service to thoroughly investigate this incident and take the necessary legal action to deter future occurrences.
The statement by the Minority Health Caucus read in full:
The Minority Health Caucus of Parliament has taken note, with grave concern, the reprehensible events which unfolded at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) on Monday, 18th August 2025.
A video circulated widely on social media depicts one Mr. Ralph St. Williams storming the premises of the hospital in the company of a group of men. He was observed shouting aggressively, filming health professionals, patients, and visitors without their consent, and causing undue disruption to the sanctity of a medical environment.
Such behaviour constitutes an affront to public order, the privacy of patients, and the dignity of our hardworking health professionals. The Caucus unequivocally condemns these actions as unlawful, reckless, and deeply inconsiderate of the ethical standards that govern our healthcare institutions. Hospitals are places of care, healing, and confidentiality; they are not theatres for political theatrics or disruptive conduct.
We note with disquiet that this same individual was only recently involved in a public altercation with a minority Member of Parliament, which required police intervention. His latest misconduct forms part of a worrying pattern of behaviour that ought to attract national censure rather than tacit endorsement. Yet, it is troubling that Mr. St. Williams is now seen in cordial interaction with the Honourable Minister of Health, a development which raises serious questions about the extent to which the ruling government has chosen to embolden and romanticise such conduct for narrow partisan advantage.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the government has, by its silence and gestures of accommodation, given licence to individuals aligned with or sympathetic to the National Democratic Congress to engage in needless acts of intimidation, disorder and political violence under the guise of activism. Such selective tolerance erodes public trust in our democratic institutions and further undermines the morale of frontline professionals who already labour under strenuous conditions.
On behalf of the Minority Health Caucus, we extend our deepest apologies to the management, staff, patients, and visitors of Ridge Hospital for the disruption caused by this wholly unwarranted intrusion. We reaffirm our profound respect and appreciation for the dedication of Ghana’s health workers who, often at great personal sacrifice, continue to uphold the health and wellbeing of our citizens.
We call the Ghana Police Service to thoroughly investigate this incident and take the necessary legal action to deter future occurrences. The sanctity of our health facilities must be preserved at all times and under no circumstances should political opportunism or governmental negligence be allowed to compromise the peace and safety of these vital institutions. Also, we urge the minister of health to set an enquiry jointly with the parliamentary select on health to unravel issues leading to this unfortunate incidence. The Minority Health Caucus remains committed to safeguarding the rights of patients, protecting health workers from intimidation, and ensuring that our national healthcare system is never subjected to partisan abuse.
