The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has asked nurses and other medical personnel to avoid unprofessional and discourteous behavior toward patients.

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Speaking during a cholera awareness initiative at the Winneba Government Hospital, he expressed concern that such attitudes discourage individuals—especially the elderly—from seeking medical care, even when in urgent need.

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While acknowledging the dedication and competence of most healthcare workers, the minister noted that a small fraction of them negatively impact the profession’s reputation through poor patient interactions, fostering apprehension and distrust in the healthcare system.

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“We have fantastic and very professional health workers but there are a few bad nuts amongst them, especially the way some of you handle patients. Sometimes you will be surprised to hear that somebody may be sick, (especially the aged). If you ask him or her to go to the hospital, he will say the nurse will insult me or shout at me.

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"Irrespective of the level of provocation, we expect you to be very professional, its an appeal to the few bad nuts that are amongst you. Some of these things I will take it seriously. It doesn't mean that we are going to come after somebody but it's important for us to protect our patients and also make them feel comfortable," he said.He encouraged all medical staff to maintain professionalism at all times, regardless of the circumstances, emphasizing that patients should always be treated with dignity and care.

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The minister further pointed out that the way patients are handled has contributed to declining attendance at some public health institutions, as many now opt for private hospitals instead.To address the problem, the minister announced plans to enforce stricter disciplinary measures against misconduct while also committing to enhancing working conditions to ease frustrations among healthcare professionals.

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