The husband of a 31-year-old woman who died after undergoing a Caesarean section at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital, has accused the facility and medical personnel involved in her care of negligence.

Daniel Ofori Asante made the allegations in a Facebook post on Friday, August 28, 2026, as he prepared to lay his wife, Theresa Boakye Dua, to rest.

The couple had been married for just 19 months, and according to Mr Asante, the Caesarean section was Theresa’s first attempt at childbirth.

He said the couple had entrusted the hospital with the delivery of their first child but that the experience ended in a tragedy that has left their family devastated.

“Theresa’s only fault was being pregnant and placing her trust in Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) for a scheduled, elective Caesarean section,” he wrote.

Mr Asante alleged that the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death involved “blatant negligence and unprofessionalism” but did not provide details of the specific medical decisions or actions he believes caused her death.

He said he had been struggling to come to terms with what happened since the evening of July 16, 2026.

“Since the evening of July 16, 2026, I have lived in excruciating pain. I am still struggling to process the horrific ordeal my wife, our families and myself endured at Ridge Hospital,” he said.

According to Mr Asante, the tragedy has also left their newborn son without his mother.

“Our baby boy has been robbed of the unconditional love of a devoted mother,” he wrote.

He said it was particularly painful knowing that his son would grow up without the woman who had cherished him and whose dream was to raise him.

Mr Asante also described the impact of Theresa’s death on her parents, saying she was their only child.

“Every morning, I look at my mother-in-law and wonder how any mother survives the agony of losing her only child in the very act of bringing new life into this world,” he wrote.

He said Theresa’s father had been living outside Ghana and was not expected to return until 2027, but had to return earlier following his daughter’s death.

“Picking my father-in-law up from the airport over the last 2 weeks was one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life,” he said.

Mr Asante said the loss had also affected Theresa’s colleagues at the Ministry of Health, members of the ICGC Covenant Temple and their wider circle of family and friends.

Describing his wife as “a gentle, peaceful, and unproblematic soul”, he accused unnamed individuals at Ridge Hospital of making decisions that, in his view, contributed to her death.

“Theresa was a gentle, peaceful, and unproblematic soul, yet reckless decisions made by some people at Ridge Hospital ensured her life was cut short,” he alleged.

He said the family was left with what he described as “irreparable” psychological trauma.

Mr Asante said he would pursue answers after the funeral and indicated that he intended to make further details public.

“After I honour my wife today, Friday 28th August 2026, the full truth will be told,” he wrote.

He described his concerns as involving “unprofessionalism, manipulation, and extortion” but did not provide further details or supporting evidence for those allegations in the statement.

He acknowledged that nothing could bring his wife back but said he wanted the circumstances surrounding her death examined to prevent similar tragedies.

“Will this bring back the life of my wife? Absolutely not, but so that no other pregnant woman or family has to endure this living nightmare,” he said.

Ghana’s maternal health challenge

Theresa’s death comes against the backdrop of continuing concerns about maternal mortality in Ghana, although there is currently no independent evidence linking her death to the broader national statistics.

The Ghana Health Service reported that Ghana’s institutional maternal mortality rate increased marginally from 109.22 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023 to 110 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024. The Service also reported a decline in skilled delivery coverage from 60.6% to 55% over the same period.

Data published by the Ghana Health Service also show that 860 women died from pregnancy-related causes in 2023.

Internationally comparable estimates tell a different but complementary story. The latest WHO-led estimates, published in 2025 and covering 2023, put Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio at 234 deaths per 100,000 live births. That was significantly lower than Ghana’s estimated ratio in previous years but remained more than three times the Sustainable Development Goal target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Ghana’s 2023 figure was also above the global average of about 191 deaths per 100,000 live births reported in the latest international estimates.

The figures underline the continuing challenge of ensuring safe, quality maternal healthcare. WHO says skilled healthcare professionals before, during and after childbirth can save women’s lives, with many maternal deaths considered preventable.

Questions over accountability

Cases in which families allege poor care or negligence during childbirth periodically generate public concern in Ghana. However, allegations of medical negligence require proper investigation and evidence to establish what happened, whether the accepted standard of care was followed and whether any failure contributed to a death.

In Theresa’s case, the allegations made by her husband have not been independently verified.

Ridge Hospital or the Ghana Health Service has not, as of publication, publicly responded to Mr Asante’s allegations.

The circumstances surrounding Theresa’s death, including the medical care she received before, during and after the Caesarean section, therefore remain subject to clarification.

For the bereaved family, however, the immediate reality is the loss of a young woman after her first attempt at childbirth and the raising of a son who will grow up without his mother.

As Mr Asante prepared to bury his wife, he ended his tribute with a promise to continue seeking answers.

“I will lay you to rest today with an intensely heavy heart, as I promised you, but know that our fight for truth does not end here… To be continued.”

He added: “Rest in perfect peace, my best friend, my soulmate, and the love of my life. You did not deserve this.”