The Head of Communications at the Ministry of Health, Tony Goodman has explained that, the Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh’s handshake with Ralph St. William in the heat of the Ridge Hospital assault should not be seen as an acceptance of what transpired or taken out of context.
“After the handshake, I told the minister that this is the Ralph guy, and he asked me if I was sure. I confirmed, and he then questioned him on why he did that. Ralph responded that he would come to the office to explain. So, for anybody to think that the handshake came after the action, it is wrong. He didn’t know the guy until I prompted him,” Mr. Goodman stated on The Big Issue on Saturday, August 23.
He added that the minister was merely extending courtesy expected of a public official and was not endorsing the alleged assault adding that, the minister only realised the activist’s identity after the handshake.
Mr. Goodman also noted that Ralph’s behaviour was unsettling, observing that the activist was “laughing and shaking hands with everybody,” which prompted him to step back.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh had earlier defended his actions during a press briefing on Thursday, August 21, insisting that the handshake was part of his duties as a public servant and should not be misinterpreted.
Committee Report
Meanwhile, the committee set up by the Ministry of Health to investigate the alleged assault on health workers at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge) is expected to submit its report on Monday, August 25, 2025.
This was disclosed Tony Goodman.
He explained that the committee, constituted by Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has completed its work and will present its findings as scheduled.
“By yesterday, we were ready with the report. By Monday, the team will submit the report to the minister. The committee looked into the system issues, the cause of the delay, and what exactly happened at the hospital,” Mr. Goodman stated.
The Health Minister last week directed the committee to complete its work within one week, following public uproar over a viral video that captured the violent altercation between some relatives of a patient and medical staff at Ridge Hospital’s emergency department.
The incident has triggered widespread concern about the safety of health professionals in the line of duty, particularly in high-pressure environments such as emergency wards.
Meanwhile, Rejoice Tsotso Bortei, a nurse at Ridge Hospital who was assaulted during the violent incident, has filed a GHS 7 million civil lawsuit against “Ralph De Fellow Ghanaian” for alleged physical assault and defamation.
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