A Kumasi woman, Mrs Mavis Elikem Gbewordo, has filed a writ of summons at the High Court alleging medical negligence against the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), claiming that actions and omissions by health workers during her labour and delivery led to the death of her newborn child. She is seeking GH₵10 million in damages.
In court documents filed against the hospital, Mrs Gbewordo asserts that KATH is vicariously liable for the conduct of its employees and that their alleged negligence directly caused severe harm to her baby. She says she attended antenatal care at Siloam Hospital, where medical personnel advised that a caesarean delivery would be the safest option because she was carrying a large baby.
According to the writ, she was referred to KATH on May 6, 2022, after the surgical team at Siloam was unavailable. Mrs Gbewordo says she was admitted in the afternoon but left unattended for long periods despite the referral note indicating urgency. She alleges she was first assessed around 6:00 p.m., when she was found to be 1 centimetre dilated, and again hours later at 2:00 a.m., when labour had progressed. Her water reportedly broke around 3:00 a.m., but, she claims, medical staff did not respond with appropriate urgency.
The writ states that, despite the earlier referral advice, she was not offered a caesarean section and instead underwent a vaginal delivery around 9:00 a.m. on May 7, 2022. The newborn, weighing approximately four kilograms, was born pale and without crying, and was subsequently placed on oxygen support. The child was later diagnosed with severe asphyxia and died a week after birth.
Mrs Gbewordo also alleges that KATH failed to obtain her informed consent before proceeding with the high-risk vaginal delivery, and that repeated requests for her medical records since May 20, 2022, have been ignored, with the hospital citing internal quality assurance audits as the reason for non-release.
In addition to compensatory damages related to the loss and emotional trauma, the plaintiff is seeking exemplary damages and costs, citing the profound impact of the newborn’s death on her and her family.
Court records indicate that the hospital has entered an appearance and filed a statement of defence, and Mrs Gbewordo’s legal team has applied for the case to be set down for trial, signalling readiness to call evidence and proceed on the merits.
At the time of reporting, KATH had not publicly responded to the substantive claims or the latest court filings. The suit is expected to proceed in the Kumasi High Court, where the issues of duty of care, informed consent, and alleged negligence will be examined.