Absence of medical doctor led to his death - Uncle of deceased in WAPCO accident

The Chief fisherman for Aboadze, Nana Adam Eduafo and uncle to one of the victims of last Monday's accident at the West African Gas Pipeline Company(WAPCO), has accused the management of Aboadze VRA Hospital of negligence.

The accident claimed the lives of two engineers of the company who were working on the pipeline in readiness for fresh gas from Nigeria.

Nana Adam Eduafo told the Ghana News Agency that the death of his nephew, Dawood Ben Awortwe, 35, an engineer with the company, could have been avoided if there was a medical doctor at the facility at the time he arrived.

He said when the deceased was rushed to the health facility around 2130 hours last Monday, they waited for several hours without any medical doctor to attend to him hence his untimely death.

The chief fisherman said the deceased was the only native from Aboadze community who had been employed by WAPCO, adding that the family was devastated by the incident since he was the breadwinner of the family.

He said the deceased got married just last year and that his wife, Ajah, is pregnant with his baby.

Nana Eduafo said since the deceased was a Muslim, he was buried on Wednesday as the Islamic tradition demands.

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of the other victim of the accident, Opare Addo Nketsia, 45, has been released to the family in Tema.

Nketsia was reported to have been sent from Tema to assist in preparation towards receiving fresh gas from Nigeria after the pipelines were damaged by a ship anchor in Togolese territory a few months ago.

The General Manager of Corporate Affairs of WAPCO, Mrs Harriet Wereko Brobby, said the cause of the accident is not known and that the company has instituted investigations to ascertain the cause.

When the GNA visited the regulatory and metering station at Aboadze, where the incident happened, the entire workers were in solemn mood with red arm-band hanged at the entrance of the company.