We cannot reveal information about ‘kidnapped pregnant’ woman – Takoradi Hospital
The administrator of the Takoradi hospital, Reverend Osei Boateng has said the facility cannot release the medical records of Madam Josephine Panyin Mensah, the pregnant woman who was kidnapped two weeks ago.
He indicated that the facility is holding her medical records in confidentiality and as such is unable to disclose any information about her visit to the facility to confirm or deny her pregnancy.
According to Rev. Boateng, the said woman in question first visited the facility in September 2020, but records show that she made at least two other visits to the hospital for medical care.
“The checks reveal that this lady has ever visited the hospital, once, twice or three times according to the records, but we are not able to disclose the detailed information concerning the purpose of coming and the conditions for which reason she was seen by a doctor so we are not allowed to do so.”
“This lady has been in the hospital and the first time she came there was around last year September, and from there, records show that for about two or three occasions, she has been at the hospital,” he added.
Ghanaians were very worried last week when news of the supposed kidnapping of 9-month pregnant Josephine Panyin Mensah went viral on social media. There were many calls for assistance to help in her search.
Fortunately, On Tuesday, Ghanaians woke up to the news that she had been found in Axim however without a baby bump which according to eyewitnesses, she claimed had been taken by her kidnappers.
She was subsequently admitted to the Axim Government Hospital but in an unusual twist of events, the Western Region Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah said the claim of pregnancy and kidnapping by the woman is false.
During an interview with Angel FM he stated that that the kidnap was staged, “From the BNI’s preliminary investigations they said this whole story was fake and the medical doctor who took care of her said she wasn’t pregnant,” he said.
As Ghanaians are calling for a speedy investigation into the issue for full disclosure, the Takoradi Hospital, one of the health facilities she is reported to have sought medical attention may be a key determinant to the issue if indeed she was pregnant at the time of her alleged kidnapping as her medical records could hold information about the kind of health service she sought there.
However, Rev. Osei Boateng, Administrator of the facility said such information cannot be given to the public immediately as investigations are still ongoing. He said the facility would only be able to do that on the instruction of the Regional Health Directorate.
The woman’s husband and some residents however insist that she was pregnant, leaving many with mixed feelings about the situation.
Her husband asserted that he would not come out to give false news about his wife’s pregnancy if it wasn’t true. He added that they have a child who is almost three years old and that they are not desperate for a child so as to lie about her situation.
“We don’t know where the allegations are coming from because neither the police nor the doctor has said anything to us. Neither of them has said anything concerning my wife’s pregnancy to us.”
“So we don’t know where that information is coming from. I have brought a patient to your hospital. I said this is the problem, and you find otherwise. You have to notify me first. You can’t go public with the news that she is not pregnant,” he said.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
