Neurosurgeon Dr. Hadi Mohammed Abdallah stated that the death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah will not bring about significant changes in Ghana’s healthcare system. He described this lack of reform as a consequence of the nation’s “culture of scapegoats.”
Dr. Abdallah expressed sadness but no surprise at the government committee’s findings. The committee concluded that Mr. Amissah died due to medical neglect. This happened after he was reportedly turned away by three major hospitals in Accra. Dr. Abdallah noted a similar incident occurred seven to eight years ago. He believes Ghana reacts emotionally to national tragedies but fails to fix the root causes.
Ghana often politicizes crises, according to Dr. Abdallah. The country tends to become emotional during major catastrophes. It then searches for someone to blame. Dr. Abdallah stated this tendency has persisted for years. He observed this pattern even in the aftermath of the May 9 Stadium Disaster. In that event, police officers were initially blamed. However, the focus was not on the systemic issues that affected the officers.
Dr. Abdallah contrasted Ghana’s approach with that of other countries. In some nations, major incidents lead to fundamental policy changes or legal reforms. He observed that Ghana focuses on finding fault. This fault is consistently personalized. Authorities tend to blame specific individuals. They do not address how to solve the underlying problems. Dr. Abdallah shared this view on the program PM Express on Wednesday. He believes Ghana is a nation not ready to learn from its mistakes. He highlighted the May 9 stadium disaster as an example of this trend. He remembered that after the disaster, there was a strong outcry against police officers. The focus then was on their unprofessional conduct. Little attention was given to the systems that trained them. The infrastructure available for crowd control at the time was also overlooked.
The neurosurgeon believes that managers of sectors often seek a scapegoat. This prevents meaningful systemic improvements. Dr. Abdallah fears this scapegoat culture will continue to impede progress. He suggested that the focus on punishment for individuals, rather than institutional reform, has been a historical pattern. This suggests that future incidents might not be prevented effectively. The failure to address systemic weaknesses may lead to further avoidable tragedies.
Dr. Abdallah’s comments follow the government committee’s report on Charles Amissah's death, which was released in May 2026. The report detailed how Mr. Amissah struggled to receive medical attention. This led to his eventual death. The findings have sparked widespread debate about accountability in Ghana's health sector. Many citizens and experts have expressed concern about the state of public healthcare services. Calls for immediate and substantial reforms have intensified. However, Dr. Abdallah’s assessment suggests a deep-seated problem that requires more than immediate reactions.
The implications of this persistent “culture of scapegoats” are significant for public finance and citizen trust. Without systemic reforms, resources allocated to healthcare may not yield improved outcomes. Citizens may continue to experience inadequate services. Decision-makers must shift focus from individual blame to institutional strengthening. This includes improving protocols, increasing resources, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within public institutions. The economic impact of frequent medical failures also includes lost productivity and increased healthcare costs for individuals. Ghana’s economic development is directly tied to the health and well-being of its citizens.