St. John Hospital & Fertility Centre has threatened legal action over a media reportage which the facility has described as slanderous.

According to the report which first appeared in the state’s new outlet, Ghana News Agency (GNA), a couple is alleged to be suing St. John Hospital & Fertility Centre for GH¢5m over alleged negligence.

The couple, Mr Ekow Andoh and Mrs Sandra Tekyiwaa Sackey, in their statement of claim as detailed by GNA, prayed the Court for a declaration that the defendant was vicariously liable for the medical negligence of its employee health workers, whose negligent omission and commission caused their baby to be diagnosed with severe asphyxia and death thereafter.

They also want an order directed to the defendant to pay the cost of litigation, including legal fees per the Ghana Bar Association Scale of Fees 2022.

They said the defendant knew or ought to know that its health officers’ actions and inactions fell below the standard of care when its officers failed to curtail a prolonged delivery by Mrs Sackey (2nd Plaintiff) when the latter was under the duty of care of the defendant and same caused the couple's baby boy to be diagnosed with severe asphyxiation, which caused the death of the baby.

They said the defendant’s midwives declined the 2nd Plaintiff’s request for elective caesarian section (CS) at the commencement of delivery of the 2nd Plaintiff’s baby, which decline caused a prolonged delivery of the 2nd Plaintiff and resulted in severe asphyxiation and the death of Plaintiffs’ baby.

 But the fertility centre, through their legal representatives Oak & Wuuds Law, insists GNA did a one-sided publication which seeks to “tarnish the brand of our client as a leading provider of health care services in the country.” 

A letter sighted by JoyNews added that, “We wish to emphatically state that our client and its health workers exercised reasonable care in accordance with the established standards and protocols accepted in the medical profession in their duty to Mrs. Sandra Tekyiwaa Sackey from her antenatal to the delivery of her baby."

The hospital further explained that the delay in the delivery of the baby was caused by the mother and not the doctors or midwives.

Subsequently, St John Hospital & Fertility Centre is demanding the immediate retraction of the fallacious publication. 

“We are by this letter requesting that you retract that publication and render an unqualified apology to our client through the same medium on or before the 15th of December 2023 to render unnecessary any further action from our client.”