Dr. Samuel Sarpong Ankrah, leader of the Alternative Force for Action (AFA), has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the alleged assault of nurses and other health professionals at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), stressing that the issue speaks more to a national crisis of poor professional ethics and customer service than an isolated altercation.
His comments follow the viral circulation of a video showing relatives of a patient attacking medical staff at Ridge Hospital’s emergency department, an incident that has sparked public outrage and prompted a swift response from government and stakeholders.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh confirmed that some arrests have been made in connection with the alleged assault. Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, the Minister said the matter is now being handled by the police.
“I can tell you that some arrests have been made. Anybody who says otherwise is not speaking the truth and is not ready to help solve the issue,” Mr. Akandoh stated.
When pressed on whether the individuals identified in the viral video, including Ralph Saint Williams, were among those arrested, he urged patience, stressing that the police must be allowed to conduct their work.
“We should leave the police to do their job. I won’t sit down for things to go wayward in my sector. No one is above the laws of this country,” he added.
According to him, the government is fully on top of the matter and has been receiving regular updates from the hospital. “The system is running, and as we speak, I’m getting updates. We are on course,” the Minister assured.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the police to arrest Ralph Saint Williams and his accomplices, warning of possible further action if the demand is not met.
To further probe the incident, the Health Minister announced the constitution of a five-member committee comprising a lawyer, an auditor, a human resource officer, a medical doctor, and a nurse. The committee is tasked with handling the administrative aspects, while the police take on the criminal dimension.
“These are the two angles we will be working from, so the law will take its own course,” he explained, noting that the findings would help strengthen protocols and improve safety for both patients and healthcare workers.
But Dr. Ankrah, in a strongly worded write-up, said the matter should not only be seen as a clash at a hospital but as a reflection of a much deeper societal problem — the disregard for professional ethics in service delivery. According to him, Ralph should be viewed as a victim of the systemic failures that continue to plague Ghana’s service industry.
Below is the full write-up by Dr. Sam Ankrah:
Ralph a victim or battered a victim?
Dr. Sam Ankrah – August 22, 2025
The participants of a profession engage in collective and methodical contemplation on professional responsibility as part of their professional ethics.
In their capacity as professionals, they serve as a manual for proper and improper behaviour.
A code of ethics lays out the social responsibilities of a profession.
From government to private business, our nation’s public and private sectors display almost little regard for customer service or professional ethics.
Instead of putting in their professional effort and earning a pay cheque, the workers providing these services act as if they are doing a favour for the customer.
As a Ghanaian, I can’t help but question if service providers here realise that their efforts pay off in a direct correlation to their salary.
There are seven pillars of professional ethics:
- Integrity
- Objectivity
- Confidentiality
- Professional competence
- Professional behaviour
- Accountability
- Professional Leadership
Have any of these been discussed with our Ghanaian service providers?
Visits to restaurants, hospitals, government organisations, and departments and any service providers all fail under this category.
People who are ostensibly working for a living treat you with rudeness, indifference, and an overall lack of professionalism.
Their answers to the previously described ethical metric are so small that we still don’t understand why our companies are losing money or why our organisations aren’t becoming more productive.
Many institutions and businesses have failed not due to inadequate funding or facilities but rather due to the mentality of the staff. No matter how you slice it, Ralph, the activist’s story highlights the pervasive attitude problems plaguing our services industry.
If you think Ghanaians are kind, just wait till you go to a government agency and can’t afford to tip the employees who are there to assist you.
Or when you go to a hospital without any money or a high-ranking relative, you’ll realise that people in Ghana aren’t as pleasant as they seem.
All areas of our economy are affected by this. It stems from cultural norms. It’s all about how we think. Its ignorance, a lack of knowledge or education, is what it is. Being courteous and professional is an important value that our society should strive to uphold.
The person requesting this service is not a beggar; rather, they are helping the company pay you the worker. People who work for these services providers often don’t know what they’re doing on the job.
It is accepted practice for employees to sit in corners and engage in idle activities such as watching TV, fiddling with their phones, or gossiping, etc. while clients are left to fend for themselves.
How much of an influence does excellent customer service have on our businesses and the economy as a whole?
Sales are boosted when consumers are satisfied. Good customer experiences promote sales, according to the Harvard Business Review study.
According to HBR’s analysis of customer feedback and future spending, customers who had the best experiences spend 140% more than those who had the worst.
Superior customer service may set a product apart from the competitors and provide it an edge in the market.
A more reliable perception of the brand is achieved through this regularity of service.
Globally successful brands have risen to the top in sales and profit margins thanks to the exceptional service they provide. Electronic retailers, software companies, medical centres, internet giants, food outlets, etc.
Tourism has become the backbone of many economies around the world. When it’s service providers learn the importance of providing high-quality services to customers.
For example, the developed world and other developing countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and others.
The sooner our nation realises the importance of professional ethics to the people we serve, the better off we will be economically.
Ralph did not beat a victim.
He was a victim.
Dr. Sam Ankrah
www.samankrah.com
