A/R: GRNMA demands official apology from suspended Opoku-Mensah

The Ashanti Region chapter of the (GRNMA) is demanding an official apology from the embattled Ashanti Region Director of National Service Scheme (NSS), Alex Opoku-Mensah, to ward off recurring incident that will dent image of the nursing profession.

According to the GRNMA, the official apology will calm the nurses and will also serve as a deterrent to persons who intend to bring the profession into disrepute.

Speaking on Akoma FM’s current affairs and political show GhanAkoma Thursday, January 5, the deputy regional secretary for the Association Ebenezer Acquah explained the sanction so far given to the NSS director for insulting the nurse is quite okay but an official apology from him would have been an icing on the cake to display total remorse for his actions.

On Sunday, November 27, the now suspended regional director is said to have verbally abused the nurse at the Manhyia Government Hospital after an altercation with his daughter, who happens to be a house officer.

In a viral audio recording, Mr.

Opoku-Mensah is heard using and exchanging unprintable words to describe a nurse who had earlier questioned his daughter’s prescription for a patient.

Although the NSS director after the incident apologised for his utterances on his Facebook wall, the Management of the National Service Scheme in a statement handed him an immediate suspension for a committee to investigate the issue.

After the board of NSS sat on the issue, they recommended in a letter dated Friday, December 23, 2022 that Mr Opoku-Mensah be suspended for two months without salary, and after the suspension he is to report at the head office to work under supervision and finally render an official apology to the NSS for bringing the image of the scheme to disrepute.

But in the interview on GhanAkoma, Mr Aqcuah told host of the show Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that “despite all the recommendations by the NSS board, an official unqualified apology from Mr Opoku-Mensah will not sink well with the nursing fraternity because the degree at which the man insulted the nurse and the entire profession still lingers on our minds so we are demanding an official apology from Mr Opoku-Mensah”.

By Nana Asenso Mensah|Akoma FM|3news.com|Ghana