The disciplinary committee of the Ghana Dental and Medical Council, on Thursday said it has sanctioned three medical doctors for various unacceptable malpractices which offended the code of ethics of the council
They are Dr Anane-Frempong Asafo-Agyei, medical director of Asafo-Agyei Hospital in Kumasi, Dr Adolph Kwesi Takyi, Medical Director of the Akpenamawu Clinic at Ho and Dr Daniel Carl Sonne, Principal Medical Officer, Korle Bu Polyclinic, Accra
A release issued and signed in Accra by the Chairman of the Council, Dr Paul K. Nyame said the action against the doctors was to guide the profession and protect public interest.
According to the release, Dr Sonne has been suspended for six months with effect from November 29, 2002 for issuing false medical reports to Gyula Bakigh and Julius Hutton-Mills to enable them make fictitious claims for insurance compensations from Atlasz Biztodito, an insurance company outside Ghana
"Dr Sonne is therefore, disqualified from practicing medicine for the period of his suspension and the general public is to take note", the release said
Dr Asafo-Agyei was also fined 10 million cedis for distributing leaflets and booklets at the second Clinical conference organized by the Ashanti Regional Health Administration in June 2001 after he had been warned by the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Medical Association the year before
According to the release, Dr Asafo Agyei's conduct sought to promote his personal capabilities in the treatment of haemorrhoids and it was calculated to attract business unfairly
Dr Takyi, was also fined one (1) million cedis for administering a concoction of six eggs, a bottle of F.A.C. and akpeteshie to one Mr Goka Kwajo, a patient who was on admission at his clinic on January 15, 2000 without indicating same on the patient's card
Dr Takyi, on January 26, informed the relatives of the said patient that he was dead under the pretext of getting them to pay for the outstanding hospital bills of the patient.
The family of Kwajo however, brought a coffin for the alleged corpse but Dr Takyi permitted members of the public to witness the unsavoury incident ...
Members of the public who wanted to catch a glimpse of the patient were made to pay fees by the doctor.
Dr Takyi was however found guilty of infamous conduct in a professional respect and has been directed by the committee to insert an apology in the 'Ghanaian Times', the paper that first published the incident within a week.
He should also negotiate with the relatives of the patient to settle the cost incurred in the process of collecting the non-existent corpse.
All the three doctors were represented by counsel and found guilty of the offences.
According to the release, the Council had examined 15 cases referred to it since January 2001 and 13 of them were referred to its Disciplinary Committee.
The cases were examined and five disposed of.
