Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has urgently called for accountability following distressing reports of a hit-and-run accident victim allegedly being denied emergency medical care by three major hospitals due to a lack of bed space. Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, February 24, Mr. Ayariga highlighted how this incident has reignited widespread public outrage concerning critical failures within the national health system's emergency response mechanisms, signaling deeper systemic issues that demand immediate attention.

Drawing on a personal experience, Mr. Ayariga emphasized the crucial role of emergency services, stating, “Speaker, I speak as somebody who was kept alive because the emergency ward of a hospital worked for me, and it must work for everybody, every citizen.” He conveyed his profound disbelief and outrage that an accident victim could be shuttled from one hospital to another without receiving immediate, life-saving emergency treatment. He remarked that in other countries, such an occurrence would provoke significant public outcry if medical personnel refused emergency care for an accident victim.

Describing the development as deeply troubling, Mr. Ayariga articulated that such cases reflect a broader national concern, pointing to issues of "indiscipline, the disregard for human life, the lack of fellow feeling, that we don’t see that this is a fellow Ghanaian.” He firmly asserted Parliament's responsibility to ensure that this matter does not simply fade away without significant consequences. He urged members to be "outraged about a thing like this" and pledged to "get to the bottom of matters like this.”

The Majority Leader drew parallels to a similar incident in 2018, questioning whether any lessons were truly learned or if those responsible were held accountable. He warned that a lack of accountability then would only inspire similar negligence today. "We want to see action this time. We want to see people held accountable so that the rest of the health personnel across the country will know that this Parliament will not sit idly by whilst people negligently lead to the loss of life,” he declared, stressing the need for a different outcome this time.

While the government has announced the formation of a committee to investigate the matter, Mr. Ayariga strongly urged Parliament’s Health Committee to actively monitor this process and present its own findings and assessment to the House. He insisted that if Parliament is "not satisfied with the outcome and the conclusions of government, that this Parliament takes very drastic action.” He underscored Parliament's constitutional duty to ensure public institutions, especially health facilities, fulfill their obligation to protect lives and that cases of alleged denial of emergency treatment do not merely result in forgotten statements or reports.

Concluding his address, Mr. Ayariga reminded the House of its fundamental responsibility to its constituents: “It is only then that citizens will know that when we converge here, we converge here for their very existence. We are here to defend their lives, to defend their rights, and to defend their interests.”