Prof. Paul Ossei Sampene, a medical doctor, Fellow of the German Academy of Pathology, and member of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), has defended the inclusion of names in the investigative report into the death of engineer Charles Amissah, insisting it should not be interpreted as scapegoating of health professionals.

Speaking on the Newsfile programme on JoyNews on Saturday, May 9, he said the decision to name individuals in the report was not intended to unfairly target or vilify medical staff involved in the case.

“The mentioning of names in the report isn’t scapegoating at all,” Prof. Sampene stated, adding that accountability processes in healthcare investigations must be understood in context.

He explained that the focus should rather be on strengthening systems and improving emergency response, stressing that the findings point to broader institutional challenges rather than isolated individual failings.

Background to the discussion is the official investigative report into the death of Charles Amissah, a 29-year-old engineer, which concluded that he did not die from the initial accident injuries but from delayed emergency care and what it described as medical neglect.

The report indicated that he remained treatable as he was transferred between major health facilities, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, before his death.

The report has since triggered renewed national debate over emergency healthcare delivery, including concerns about the persistent “no-bed syndrome” and wider issues of coordination, preparedness, and responsibility within Ghana’s health system.