Kingsley Hope, the author of a Ghanaian Times publication which revealed the purported findings of a post-mortem examination on deceased Kessben FM presenter, Confidence Baah, has stated that he got his information from the management of the Kumasi-based radio station.
His revelation follows a denial by the pathologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr Osei Sampane, that he released findings of the autopsy to the newspaper.
Dr Sampane, reacting to the report in the Wednesday October 19 edition of the Ghanaian Times, which reported that he had told the paper the deceased journalist suffered from asphyxia (suffocation) caused by food particles following his examination of Mr Baah’s body, said he did no such thing.
He told Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Wednesday October 19 that his training as a pathologist did not allow him to disclose the health conditions of his patients – deceased or alive.
He said: “The newspaper report is not true. Everything I did on the corpse was confidential between myself and the deceased person, it is between myself and the Attorney General, and it is between myself and the family of the deceased.
“As we speak, I have not released any autopsy report, I am not allowed per my training as a pathologist to release such information to the public, not even to my wife. I do not discuss issues that happen at the hospital even with my wife. I have sworn an oath of secrecy just as every trained medical practitioner has.”
He further disclosed that at the moment, only a judge could compel him to release the report to the public and even with that, that judge would need to convince him on why he should do so. He called on the media to be circumspect about such matters and desist from reporting falsehood to the public.
While conceding he did not get the information directly from Dr Sampane, the Ghanaian Tines reporter insisted he confirmed the veracity of his information from sources he trusted at Kessben FM, who told him they had got that same information from the pathologist, and, thus, could not be accused of falsifying his report.
Kingsley Hope, however, noted that he only resorted to second-hand information after trying several times without success to get in touch with the pathologist.
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