Sue for medical negligence to help sanitise health system – Lawyer advises

Private legal practitioner and author, Albert Gyamfi, has urged Ghanaians to take steps to sue facilities and medical professionals for suspected cases of medical negligence to help reform the country’s health system.

According to him, the reluctance of victims to pursue justice has allowed medical negligence to persist in Ghana.

“Letting things go is what has made medical negligence persist in Ghana; only a few take action,” he said.

He urged those affected by medical negligence to seek legal redress, even if they are not personally interested in the financial compensation.

“Even if you don’t like the money, take it and give it to charity—let some people feel culpable for what they have done. It will send a signal out there, and we can reshape our health system. Otherwise, these things will not work.”

The issue of medical negligence has been a persistent problem in Ghana, with numerous reports of patients suffering due to inadequate care or errors by healthcare professionals and facilities.

However, many victims choose not to pursue legal action, often citing reasons such as lack of trust in the legal system or a desire to move on from the traumatic experience.

But speaking on JoyNews’ The Law on Sunday, August 11, the lawyer stressed the importance of holding healthcare providers accountable for their actions to ensure that such incidents are reduced and that the health system is improved for all Ghanaians.

The private legal practitioner highlighted the challenges lawyers face when handling medical negligence cases, noting that convincing clients to go to court is often a significant hurdle.
He recounted his experience with a client who was initially reluctant to take legal action.

“I had a huge task convincing my client to go to court. I told her, ‘You can give it to God, but your child needs to survive. So, go to court, get the money, and give it to the child, and give your grievances to God, which is fine with me.”