Joseph Kenny Agodoa, 48, the fake medical doctor who was arrested by the Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) last Thursday, was arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court on Monday.

His plea was not taken and was remanded in custody to appear again on September 9.

Agodoa was arrested by the CID upon a tip-off at the Modern Atomic Clinic at Haatso, a suburb of Accra, where he was practicing as the medical officer in charge of the clinic. The prosecution said investigations revealed that Agodoa who has no medical training, certificate or licence, has operated as a medical officer for over 12 years, three of which he spent at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Agodoa also claimed he practised for seven years at the St. Theresa's Community Hospital at Mbegise in Imo State, Nigeria from 1989 to 1996 after which he returned to Ghana to work at the Ho Government Hospital for one year.

He was allegedly transferred to the Korle-Bu Hospital in 1997 for further training and observation.

In 2000 Agodoa resigned from Korle- Bu and joined the West Africa AIDS Foundation at Roman Ridge, also as a medical officer until November 2003 when he resigned to join the Modern Atomic Clinic where he worked until his arrest.

Meanwhile, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital yesterday denied that Agodoa worked at the Medical and Surgical Units of the hospital.

A statement signed by the Chief Administrator, Prof Nii Otu Nartey, said Agodoa was never employed at the hospital.

"The relationship that Agodoa had with the hospital was only for orientation and further assessment which lasted from June 1997 to August 1998," the statement said.

It said Agodoa was sent from the Ho Regional hospital to Korle Bu by the Director of Human Resources Development of the Ministry of Health for the assessment and evaluation of his competence.

"The letter, dated May 9, therefore requested the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to organise a six month orientation and assessment for him at the Department of Medicine and Surgery."

After the six-month orientation, the statement said, assessment by the then unit head of the department found Agodoa among other things, to be seriously deficient in basic medical practice. Based on his poor understanding and ignorance of general medical practice, the report suggested an "in-depth investigation of his medical education."

"If found to be satisfactory, then a structured remedial training should be organised for him depending on his readiness to accept such corrections."

The statement said the report further suggested that he be withdrawn while being investigated.

It said these facts were forwarded to the Director for Human Resources and Development in August 1993, which concluded any relationship between the hospital and Agodoa.


Source: The Ghanaian Times