Ridge Hospital Nurses Who Died In June 3 Disaster Buried.

The Ridge Regional Hospital has held a burial service for two of its serving officers who lost their lives in the June 3, 2015 fire and flood disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.

The deceased, 25-year-old Harriet Bamfo, a staff nurse and 26-year-old Emefa Agbematu, a Rotation Midwife were on their way to work when they met their untimely death.

The interdenominational service held at the forecourt of the Regional Training Centre of the Ghana Health Service was attended by representatives of government, various ministries, health facilities in the Greater Accra Region as well as family and friends of the deceased.

Dr. E.K.A Obeng Apori, Medical Director of the Ridge Regional Hospital, said the joy of the hospital after the visit of President Mahama to the facility was truncated the next day, 4th June, when they realized that two of their staff had been involved in the disaster.

Describing the disaster as an environmental ‘Armageddon’, he consoled the families of the two staff members, quoting from 2 Corinthians 4:8 and extended the condolences of the hospital to the families.

He acknowledged several institutions and individuals who had donated items and cash towards the care of the victims of the disaster.

Dr Obeng Apori appealed to government and Ghanaians to take steps to prevent the recurrence of such a disaster, saying “never again, never again shall the country be subjected to such colossal loss of human and material resources”.

Dr. Victor Bampoe, Deputy Minister of Health, who spoke on behalf of the sector minister, the Greater Accra Regional Minister and the Mayor of Accra, presented a cash donation of GH¢10,000 to each family on behalf of the government.

He also presented donations of GH¢1,000.00 each on behalf of the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to both families.

He conveyed to the families the condolences of President Mahama and other members of government, especially as the two lost their lives in the course of providing health services to their fellow Ghanaians.

He noted that although no amount of money could bring back Harriet and Emefa, the donation was a token of the government’s goodwill to the families to assuage their loss.

He said though there were many questions with no answers, he hoped that God, through his son Jesus Christ would grant them solace.

In a tribute to the late Harriet Bamfo by the management and staff of the Ridge Hospital, Mrs. Margaret Evans, Principal Nursing Officer and Head of the Central, Supply and Sterilization Department of the hospital, said Harriet was posted to the facility as a Staff Nurse in 2013. She described the deceased as a very enthusiastic and hardworking person, who was humble and respectful as well.

Mrs. Phillis Adjetey Ashong, Midwifery Officer with the Department Obstetrics and Gynaecology, who read the tribute to Emefa on behalf of the hospital, said Emefa was a hardworking, respectful and humble National Service Midwife who reported to the hospital in December from the Dansoman Polyclinic where she was originally posted because the Polyclinic did not have the Obstetrics, Surgical and Medical Nursing disciplines.

She noted that the last time they saw Emefa was when she closed from work that Wednesday morning. “On that fateful Wednesday night, the staff at NICU kept wondering why Emefa had not turned up because it was very unlike her to be late. Little did we know that we were seeing her for the last time on Wednesday morning when she closed from work”.

Born on 19th November 1989, Harriet Bamfo was the fourth of five children of Mr. James Bamfo, a retired Accountant at the Electricity Company of Ghana and Madam Gloria Tweneboah, a retired Midwife.

She was a product of Ofori Panyin Senior High School, graduated from the Korle-Bu Nursing and Midwifery Training College in 2011 and was permanently posted to the Ridge Regional Hospital in 2013, where she worked till her demise on 3rd June.

Emefa Agbematu, an only daughter, was born to Mr. Emmanuel Kuditey and Beatrice Kuditey on 31st August 1989. She was a product of Mawuli Secondary school in Ho and later gained admission to the Korle-Bu Nursing and Midwifery College where she studied Midwifery.

She was on her way to work at the Ridge hospital that fateful day when she met her untimely death.