Doctor chops off driver's fingers

A 41-year-old driver, Emmanuel Kwabla Narh, has threatened to "deal" with the medical superintendent of the Atua Government Hospital at Odumase-Krobo, for negligently deforming him.

Narh has petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in the Lower Manya Krobo District, praying it to call Dr Adu Setsoafia to order for wilfully disfiguring him without his consent.

According to Narh, he was sent to the hospital when he had a scratch on the middle finger of his right hand but Dr Setsoafia, who attended to him, ended up chopping off three of his fingers.

He said since the calamity befell him, he had been incapacitated and unable to ply his trade as a driver, thereby inflicting economic hardship on him as well as his nuclear and extended families, of which he was the bread winner.

However, Dr Setsoafia has dismissed Narh's assertion, claiming that he only did his job as a doctor to save Narh from contracting other ailments.

Dr Setsoafia said when the driver was sent to the hospital, his middle, the ring and small fingers had been crushed in the compartment of the car engine.

Narrating the incident to The Mirror over the weekend Mr Narh said on April 16, 2009 when he was going about his work as a tipper truck driver, he had a problem with his truck and therefore parked to check the fault.

According to him, he opened the engine compartment and as he attempted to check the problem the alternator scratched the back of his middle finger.

He said in the process, he got injured and was rushed to the St Martins de Pores Hospital at Agormanya but there was no doctor and was referred to the Atua Government Hospital.

While at the hospital, he sent a message to his wife and other relatives about his plight.

He said he was later sent to the theatre and was asked to undress and was put under anaesthesia.

Mr Narh said after about five hours he regained consciousness and realised that his legs and some other parts of his body were swollen.

When he checked his fingers, he realised three fingers on the right hand had been chopped off.

He said he started complaining but his wife asked him to keep quiet.

His wife later explained to him that the doctor had removed the fingers he considered had been badly damaged and had asked her to send the fingers home.

According to Mr Narh, he was disturbed about the turn of events, and had been grieving until he was discharged but was asked to come for the dressing of his wounds until the stitches were removed.

He said based on that he sent a petition to the district office of CHRAJ to intervene and hold the doctor culpable for his predicament.

When The Mirror contacted Mr James Awumey, District Officer of the CHRAJ, he said the case had been referred to the regional office in Koforidua, which was conducting further investigation.