The Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) was thrown into confusion after a self-styled social activist, identified as Ralph St. Williams, stormed the emergency ward and filmed staff while accusing them of delaying treatment for his patient.
In a video that has since gone viral, Ralph is seen with blood on his hands, shouting at doctors and nurses for allegedly ignoring an accident victim he brought in. The footage, which also showed critically ill patients receiving treatment, has sparked concerns about patient privacy and hospital protocols.
According to Ralph, he had waited for over an hour without his ward being attended to. His actions, however, escalated into a heated confrontation, with witnesses reporting that a nurse was assaulted in the process. The hospital later confirmed that the Ghana Police Service had to be called in to restore order.
The video which was posted on social media has generated lot of reaction.
“This guy is just shameless and stupid, he’s been fooling since and no one can call him to redress. You can’t open your video and start making videos of staff members and patients like that in a hospital. It’s an offense, you can be prosecuted and you might end paying hefty fines for that. Someone should advise him… the fooling be too much. Righteeee he see say ein relevances dip so he want attention again.” one X user reacted
“All the nurses and doctors on duty during that period must be sacked with immediate effect like what sort of heartless behave is that.. it’s so painful to see this” another committed
“Incase you or any of your relatives need an emergency health attention and it’s night, go to a private hospital if you go to gov. Hospital you’re half way dead even before they attend to you” another posted
Meanwhilea statement signed by Juliana Hariwa, Head of Public Relations, Ridge Hospital explained that the incident happened during a period when clinicians were handling multiple emergencies at once. The statement said the activist, together with relatives of the patient, “invaded the emergency triage” in large numbers, disrupting service and creating unnecessary tension.
The hospital strongly condemned the assault on its staff, calling it “unacceptable behavior that puts both patients and clinicians at risk.” It further urged the public to respect hospital procedures to ensure that all patients, especially those in critical condition, can be treated safely and efficiently.