Before and After photo of Sandra Baafi Boateng
A family of a 25-year-old nursing graduate who was left critically ill after a stampede during the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment exercise in Kumasi is appealing for further support, one year after the incident reportedly changed her life.
Sandra Baafi Boateng, who had hoped to join the military as a nurse, has reportedly remained bedridden since sustaining serious injuries during the recruitment exercise at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on November 12, 2025.
Her condition and the emotional and financial difficulties confronting her family have been brought back into public attention by a relative, Nancy Agyenim Boateng, in a Facebook post marking the first anniversary of the incident.
According to Nancy, Sandra had decided to apply to the Ghana Armed Forces after completing her nursing training but had yet to receive a posting. However, her ambition to serve the country took a tragic turn when she was caught up in the stampede at the recruitment centre.
Describing the family's ordeal, Nancy said the past 12 months had been filled with pain, uncertainty and mounting pressure as they struggled to cope with Sandra's condition.
"Since then, its been one story after the other. One diagnosis after the other. One full year on the hospital bed. Sandra has not talked, walked or gained full consciousness," she wrote.
She lamented that a young woman who once had ambitions of becoming a military nurse was now unable to carry out basic activities, with her dreams seemingly put on hold by the incident.
Nancy further expressed concern about Sandra's condition, claiming that doctors had discharged her home despite her health challenges.
"Doctors have discharged her home to literally 'DIE'. It's so sad. So sooo sad," she said, describing the situation as devastating for the entire family.
Beyond Sandra's medical condition, Nancy said the incident had placed considerable financial, emotional and psychological pressure on her relatives, who have had to navigate the difficult process of caring for her.
She consequently appealed to the Ghana Armed Forces and the relevant government authorities to intervene and help secure the medical assistance Sandra needs.
"Surely Ghana Armed Forces can step in to help save Sandra's life," she pleaded.
Nancy said the family continued to hold on to hope and faith despite the difficulties, asking the public to remember them in their prayers.
"All she wanted to do was to serve her nation as a military nurse," she added.
The November 12, 2025 incident occurred during the GAF's 2025/2026 recruitment exercise, which attracted thousands of young applicants to screening centres across the country.
At the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, five applicants were reported injured during a stampede, according to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene. The incident occurred on the same day a separate and more deadly stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra claimed six lives and left several others injured.
The tragedy at the Accra recruitment centre prompted investigations and the suspension of recruitment activities in the Greater Accra Region as authorities reviewed safety arrangements.
For Sandra's family, however, the anniversary is not simply a reminder of a recruitment exercise that went tragically wrong. It is a painful account of a young woman's interrupted ambitions and a family's continuing struggle to secure her recovery.
As the appeal for assistance gains attention, questions remain about the long-term medical support available to victims of the Kumasi stampede and the assistance being provided to families still dealing with its consequences.
EA
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