Parliament demands justice for murder of nurse

Parliament is demanding justice for Ruth Ama Eshun, a Community Health Nurse with the Sewua Health Centre at Ayuom in the Ashanti Region, who was allegedly murdered by unknown assailant(s).

The lifeless body of the health worker was found dead a few meters from her house on Tuesday February 4, 2020.

The mother of three was believed to have been gang raped before murdered by the unknown assailant(s).

In separate statements on the floor of Parliament in Accra yesterday, Dr Kwabena Twum-Nuamah and Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Chairman and Ranking Member on the Health Committee respectively said the perpetrators of such heinous crime must be brought to book.

Dr Nuamah, Member of Parliament for Berekum East, said the killing of the 30-year old could affect the readiness of health workers to serve in deprived areas as the late Ruth was doing before her untimely death.

The only way to allay the fears of health workers from accepting postings to rural areas, he said, would be the swift prosecution of perpetrators.

“Just as the blood of Abel in the Bible cried for justice, so is the blood of the departed crying for justice and the country must not let her down,” he stated.

Encouraging the chiefs and people of Sewua to volunteer credible information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators, Dr Twum-Nuamah said the Interior Minister must come and brief the House on measures being put in place to protect health workers across the country.

For Mr Akandoh, the murder of the deceased had traumatised health workers across the country.

Positing that the demise of Ms Eshun had created a vacuum in the health delivery system of the country, Mr Akandoh, MP, Juaboso, said health workers were living in fear and panic.

He commended the police for arresting one person in connection with the crime and asked that prosecution was swift to deter other persons from visiting violence on health workers.

Effiduase/Asokore Member, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, commenting on the statement said the killing of the nurse was a betrayal of community health nurses.

This is because Community Health Nurses had been on the forefront in combating tropical diseases like polio, tuberculosis, measles, guinea worm infestation, buruli ulcer amongst others.

“As soon as practicable, justice must be served [Ruth AMA Eshun] and it must be swift,” he demanded.

BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI