Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has defended his decision to greet and hug Ralph St. Williams, the man accused of attacking nurses at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital.
A video showing the Minister shaking hands and hugging Ralph during his visit to the hospital went viral, sparking anger among many Ghanaians. Some nurses and members of the public believed the Minister’s action showed support for Ralph, even though he was accused of assaulting health workers on duty.
Speaking to the media in Accra on Thursday, 21st August, 2025, Mr. Akandoh explained that his actions were not meant to endorse Ralph’s behavior. He said, “I will still greet Ralph, even if he is sentenced to life. That does not mean we won’t take action. The law will surely take its course.”
The Minister stressed that as a public officer, it is his duty to respect and greet everyone, whether innocent or accused, but that does not mean the person will escape punishment. He added that he has already instructed the police to continue their investigations and bring justice to the affected nurses.
Mr. Akandoh said his main focus when he arrived at the hospital was to calm the situation and ensure that the injured nurses received proper treatment. He also revealed that a five-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident within one week. The committee includes a lawyer, an auditor, a doctor, a nurse, and a human resource officer.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has called on the police to speed up their work and arrest everyone involved in the attack. They warned that they would not tolerate any attempts to cover up the issue.
The Minister assured nurses across the country that the government will continue to protect health workers and improve hospital security to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Click here to watch the video.
