The Eastern Regional Security Council, the Ministry of Health, and the Eastern Regional Hospital management have been given a two-week ultimatum by the medical professionals occupying the Koforidua Nurses Bungalows to resolve security concerns within the nurses’ quarters.
In an emergency meeting, the medical community threatened to stage a large-scale protest and go on a sit-down strike if their security concerns were not immediately addressed by all parties involved.
Their ultimatum follows a string of attacks on their lives and property, the most recent of which involved the robbery and machete attack of a staff member’s family, who was robbed of GHC 7,000. She was asleep when the four armed men burst into her apartment around 2:30 in the morning.
The Koforidua Nurses Bungalows offer lodging for employees of the regional health directorate, including tutors at the Koforidua Nursing Training College, in addition to nurses, anesthetists, midwives, and their families.
The once tranquil and serene region across from Koforidua Stadium, which is now home to the Youth Resource Center, is quickly turning into a popular target for criminals who carry out daytime and nighttime armed attacks.
Locals claim that on the eve of the Youth Resource Center’s commemoration of March 6, 2024, armed individuals broke into the area and stole five car batteries and cassettes.
In previous years, countless TVs and other goods have been taken while their owners were gone on business trips. Shortly after leaving his house for work, Foster Tetteh, a specialist ENT nurse, had all of his goods taken.
The story is quickly shifting from the days when criminals preyed on victims when they were not at home, to now when armed men attack throughout the night when their victims are sound sleeping at home.
After one of the attacked staff members, Hannah Konadu, raised the alarm, the local watchdog committee noticed and the perpetrators were forced to call off their raid.
In an interview with Citi News, assemblyman Citizen Tetteh, who represents the Two Streams electoral area and attended the meeting, called the state of affairs extremely concerning.
In order to ensure their safety, the group has petitioned the Eastern Regional Security Council, the Regional Health Directorate, the Management of the Regional Hospital, the Management of the Koforidua Nursing Training College, and the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly to address short-term security measures within two weeks. Long-term plans will also be taken into consideration.
