Surgeons' conduct was professional - GMA President

Accra, July 5, GNA - The conduct of Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso and Dr K. Turkson, both Surgeons at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, was highly professional, Professor Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, President of Ghana Medical Association (GMA) said on Tuesday.

Prof Adu-Gyamfi, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency, said Medical Officers were trained to speak the truth and what the two Surgeons did was what was expected of them, "indeed it did not break the rule of confidentiality between a patient and his doctor in this instance".

He said he would rather prefer that comments on the highly commendable act of the Surgeons were left to the general public than the Association coming out with a statement.

AngloGold Ashanti and Obuasi Police lied to Ghanaians when they told the Ghana News Agency that spikes on top of a gate on the premises of the Obuasi Mines pierced Mr Awudu Mohammed, a Small-Scale Miner of Sanso, who entered AngloGold Ashanti concession to look for gold, when they knew that he was shot.

While AngloGold Ashanti lied in a statement they issued to the Ghana News Agency, Chief Superintendent Kwabena Akuoko Oduro, Obuasi Police Divisional Commander also lied in an interview with GNA. Dr Owusu-Danso, Senior Medical Officer at the Department of Surgery at KATH told the GNA that Mr Mohammed was shot.

He said Mr Mohammed presented deep penetrating injury of the abdomen with his intestine almost completely extruded, which must have been caused by a bullet.

Colonel Steve Oduro-Kwarteng (rtd), Head of Special Services Department of AngloGold Ashanti, signed the AngloGold statement on Thursday.

The statement claimed Mr Mohammed "in attempt to climb over the metal gate was wounded in the tummy by the spikes on top of the metal gate. He fell outside the gate and could not move again. It was then observed that part of his intestines had gushed out".

Chief Superintendent Oduro corroborated the AngloGold Ashanti's lie, when he spoke to the GNA in a telephone interview. The GNA had reported on Wednesday that AngloGold Ashanti Security on Tuesday June 21 carried out its threat to shoot small-scale gold miners on sight and shot Mr Mohammed, who had entered the Company's concession in Obuasi.

Meanwhile, Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) and the Assemblyman for Sanso Electoral Area of Obuasi have issued statements commending the two Surgeons for their honesty and sense of patriotism.