Pathologist denies releasing report of Kumasi journalist

Dr Osei Sampane, a pathologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, has denied media publications that he has released the autopsy report of the Kessben FM presenter who died on Sunday, 16 October.

The Ghanaian Times, in its Wednesday October 19 issue, reported that Dr Sampane had told the paper that the deceased journalist, Confidence Kwadwo Baah, suffered from asphyxia (suffocation) caused by food particles, after the post-mortem examination of his body.

The publication added that as a result of the report, samples of the internal organs and fluids of the deceased had been sent to Accra for further examination to determine the real cause of death.

However, Dr Sampane denied releasing any such report to the Ghanaian Times or to any journalist, saying his training as a pathologist does not allow him to disclose the health conditions of his patients – deceased or alive.

Speaking in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Wednesday, Dr Sampane said: “The newspaper report is not true. Everything I did on the corpse was confidential between myself and the deceased person, it is between myself and the Attorney General, and it is between myself and the family of the deceased.”

“As we speak, I have not released any autopsy report, I am not allowed per my training as a pathologist to release such information to the public, not even to my wife. I do not discuss issues that happen at the hospital even with my wife. I have sworn an oath of secrecy just as every trained medical practitioner has.”

He further disclosed that at the moment, only a judge can compel him to release the report to the public and even with that, that judge will need to convince him on why he should do so.

He called on the media to be circumspect about such matters and desist from reporting falsehood to the public.