Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, has defended his decision to shake hands with social media activist Ralph St. William, who has been fingered in the Ridge Hospital assault.
According to Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, his handshake with Ralph St. William was not an endorsement of the alleged assault but an act of courtesy.
The Health minister emphasised that the fact that he shook hands with him does not mean he would stop any measures taken by the government to unravel the situation.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, August 21, 2025, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh stated, “After we finished the meeting with the hospital management, I put together a committee to investigate the matter in question. So, after that meeting, we came outside, and my attention was drawn to a gentleman who I was told was at the centre of the controversy.
“So, on approaching me, I asked, ‘Why did you do what you did?’ When I asked, the gentleman stretched his hand, shook me, and attempted to whisper something into my ear. At this point, should I push him away, snub him, or shout at him? Even if that guy has been prosecuted and sentenced to life imprisonment, if he stretches his hand to shake me, as a minister and as a public officer, I have a duty to greet him back,” he said.
“The fact that I shook hands with him does not mean I should stop any measures the ministry or government will take to unravel the situation,” he stressed.
However, The General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Dr David Tenkorang, has accused the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, of not respecting nurses.
Speaking on Asempa FM on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, Dr David Tenkorang was reacting to the Ministry of Health’s explanation on Ridge Hospital violence regarding the Health Minister’s visit to Ridge following the incident.
Dr David Tenkorang stated, “What is even annoying is what the minister did. His statement runs contrary to his posture. You went there, and the same Ralph who had engaged in that act of hooliganism, you went there to embrace him. Look at the pictures on social media”.
“He affectionately embraced the Ralph guy, somebody who has been fingered as the perpetrator of that heinous crime. He embraced him, and then the guy whispered into his ears, and he was smiling; whether it was a question or whatever, then he was smiling. How did the guy get to know that the minister had come there for him to rush there immediately?” he questioned.
Dr Tenkorang further added, “I agree with you, but the man does not give respect to nurses. How can you treat nurses like this? It’s the clearest case of disrespect. You go and embrace the very guy, and look, initially, he was being defended that he met the person before meeting the management. It’s not true. Look, if you show us respect, we will also show you respect. I mean, what is he trying to show us?”
The GRNMA General Secretary further accused the Health Minister of being ignorant about healthcare delivery.
Background
The 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.