Angered by the gruesome and dastardly treatment, resulting to the death of late Nurse Ruth Ama Eshun of the Sewua Health Centre, Parliament has called for swift justice, and intensified investigation to bring the perpetrators to book.
The late nurse, 30, a married woman, and mother of three children, was reportedly robbed, raped and killed and left in a pool of blood on Monday, February 3, 2020 by unknown assailants at Ayuom in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region.
Reports indicated that Ruth was spotted leaving Sewua Health Centre located in the Bosomtwe District in the Ashanti Region, where she worked at about 1500 hours on Monday, February 3, 2020.
Her family and neighbors became alarmed after she failed to return home later that day and was reported missing by her worried husband.
She was, however, discovered lifeless the following morning at about 100 metres from her home.
The crime scene later set ablaze by unknown assailants, of whom one person has been arrested.
The House, in contributions by members after statements by Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah, Chairman of Parliament Committee of Health and MP for Berekum East; and Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Ranaking Member of the Health Committee and MP for Juaboso recounted the paramount role of community health nurses in deprived areas of Ghana, calling for the swift response to bring the malefactors to book.
According to Dr Twum-Nuamah, the hearts of the staff of the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association,the Ministry of Health and the entire nation were broken for the Nurse’s murder; making it more challenging to achieve Universal Health Coverage as the incident would cause health workers not to accept postings to deprived areas.
He called on the State to assuage the fears of health workers by apprehending the perpetrators and making them face the full force of the law.
Additionally, the House should invite the Minister of Interior to brief the House on security arrangements for health workers, especially for those in deprived area, the MP urged, and further appealed to the Chiefs and People in the area to volunteer vital information to apprehend killers.
“Mr Speaker, just as the blood of Abel cried for justice from the Almighty God after he was murdered by his brother Cain, so the blood of our departed colleague cries for justice from her country Ghana.“The State should not fail her.”
Mr Akandoh, quoting English poet and playwright William Shakespeare described the death “as murder most foul, strange and unnatural.”
He observed that the huge amount of state resources pumped into the training of health workers by successive governments, adding that the nation desperately needed more of such health workers.“Nurse Ruth Ama Eshun is already gone, but she cannot be denied justice,” Mr Akandoh said.
Other contributions that came from Mr James Agalga, a former Deputy Minister of the Interior; Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie , MP Effiduase/Asokore; Ms Laadi Ayamba, MP for Pusiga praised community health nurses for their contribution to health delivery.
They condoled with the bereaved family and called for swift justice for the late Nurse Ruth Ama Eshun. “What we seek is justice, and it must be swift,” Dr Afriyie said.
