Dr Emmanuel Kobina Kuto is Director of Ghana Institute of Languages
The Director of the Ghana Institute of Languages, Dr Emmanuel Kobina Kuto, has recounted a harrowing account of alleged medical negligence at Ridge Hospital six years ago, which he says resulted in the death of his wife during her admission for surgery.
In a post shared by Akosua Kyeretwie on social media on June 30, 2026, Dr Kuto said his wife was admitted on a Sunday evening ahead of a scheduled operation the following morning.
He described what followed as a distressing sequence of events marked by confusion over treatment and delays in medical attention.
“My wife checked in at the hospital on a Sunday evening. She had been due for surgery Monday morning,” he wrote.
He alleged that there was disagreement among medical staff over medication administered to his wife, claiming one doctor distanced himself from a prescription while another admitted responsibility.
According to him, the exchange raised serious concerns about communication and coordination in the ward.
“’I didn’t prescribe that.' There was a back and forth between the doctor and the nurse, which attracted two other nurses. One of the new entrants said yes. Then he [the doctor] didn’t prescribe it but another doctor did so later", the post stated.
Dr Kuto also described what he saw as a lack of urgency in responding to his wife’s deteriorating condition.
He said she suddenly became critically ill while in the ward and that medical intervention was delayed.
“She was sweating profusely and was in severe pain. The change was really dramatic. I asked her if the doctor had seen her. She said no but the nurse had given her medication earlier on. She asked me to take her to the washroom. By this time, she was screaming in pain.
"I managed to sit her on the WC. But as she attempted to relieve herself, she suddenly went limp and crumbled onto the floor. She was unconscious,” he recalled, adding that her condition worsened rapidly before she eventually collapsed", he recounted.
He further alleged that during the confusion surrounding the medication issue, some health workers behaved in a manner he found deeply inappropriate.
“They were laughing heartily. As our doctor was scolding the other doctor, they [nurses] were laughing heartily. Even the doctor was scolding his colleague somehow jokingly.
'Yes, my wife lay dying and the nurses were laughing that a doctor had apparently prescribed the wrong medication for her. I was not angry and I was not mad. I just felt cold. Very cold," he alleged.
According to him, his wife died later that night while he was away from the hospital, after what he described as hours of uncertainty and ongoing attempts to stabilise her condition.
“My wife died at 11 pm last night, three hours after I left her,” he stated.
Despite his grief, Dr Kuto said he could not conclusively attribute the death to any specific medical action, noting that he has requested an autopsy to establish the exact cause.
“What I cannot accept, and why I am writing this, is that health workers find it funny that the wrong medication had apparently been administered to my wife. They were laughing. It was a joke. My wife’s life was a joke", the post stated.
He also acknowledged the efforts of some hospital staff, particularly nurses he said tried to assist during the emergency, describing one as especially compassionate.
Dr Kuto used the opportunity to call for reforms in patient care and professional conduct, urging health authorities to ensure that dignity and urgency are prioritised in treatment.
See the post below:
The Director of the Ghana Institute of Languages, Dr Emmanuel Kobina Kuto, has recounted a harrowing account of alleged medical negligence at Ridge Hospital six years ago, which he says resulted in the death of his wife during her admission for surgery.
In a post shared by Akosua Kyeretwie on social media on June 30, 2026, Dr Kuto said his wife was admitted on a Sunday evening ahead of a scheduled operation the following morning.
He described what followed as a distressing sequence of events marked by confusion over treatment and delays in medical attention.
“My wife checked in at the hospital on a Sunday evening. She had been due for surgery Monday morning,” he wrote.
He alleged that there was disagreement among medical staff over medication administered to his wife, claiming one doctor distanced himself from a prescription while another admitted responsibility.
According to him, the exchange raised serious concerns about communication and coordination in the ward.
“’I didn’t prescribe that’. There was a back and forth between the doctor and the nurse, which attracted two other nurses. One of the new entrants said yes. Then he [the doctor] didn’t prescribe it but another doctor did so later", the post stated.
Dr Kuto also described what he saw as a lack of urgency in responding to his wife’s deteriorating condition.
He said she suddenly became critically ill while in the ward and that medical intervention was delayed.
“She was sweating profusely and was in severe pain. The change was really dramatic. I asked her if the doctor had seen her. She said no but the nurse had given her medication earlier on. She asked me to take her to the washroom. By this time, she was screaming in pain.
"I managed to sit her on the WC. But as she attempted to relieve herself she suddenly went limp and crumbled onto the floor. She was unconscious,” he recalled, adding that her condition worsened rapidly before she eventually collapsed", he recounted.
He further alleged that during the confusion surrounding the medication issue, some health workers behaved in a manner he found deeply inappropriate.
“They were laughing heartily. As our doctor was scolding the other doctor, they [nurses] were laughing heartily. Even the doctor was scolding his colleague somehow jokingly.
'Yes, my wife lay dying and the nurses were laughing that a doctor had apparently prescribed the wrong medication for her. I was not angry and I was not mad. I just felt cold. Very cold," he alleged.
What medical negligence means within Ghana's legal framework
According to him, his wife died later that night while he was away from the hospital, after what he described as hours of uncertainty and ongoing attempts to stabilise her condition.
“My wife died at 11 pm last night, three hours after I left her,” he stated.
Despite his grief, Dr Kuto said he could not conclusively attribute the death to any specific medical action, noting that he has requested an autopsy to establish the exact cause.
“What I cannot accept, and why I am writing this, is that health workers find it funny that the wrong medication had apparently been administered to my wife. They were laughing. It was a joke. My wife’s life was a joke", the post stated.
He also acknowledged the efforts of some hospital staff, particularly nurses he said tried to assist during the emergency, describing one as especially compassionate.
Dr Kuto used the opportunity to call for reforms in patient care and professional conduct, urging health authorities to ensure that dignity and urgency are prioritised in treatment.
See the post below:
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