The Vice President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Professor Dr. Ernest Yorke, has responded to media reports concerning a purported disclosure of musician Kuame Eugene’s medical condition by an individual claiming to be a doctor associated with the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).
The original post, attributed to a person identified as Dr. Amina Haarun and dated March 18, 2024, on X platform, stated, “Kuame Eugene is here at the hospital with us and ain’t looking good. Kindly send him a prayer.”
Subsequently, the same individual expressed acceptance of the suspension of her license due to ethical breaches and issued an apology to the public.
In his statement, Prof. Dr. Ernest Yorke clarified that the individual in question is not affiliated with the Ghana Medical Association.
Furthermore, investigations revealed that she is not employed at UGMC and is not registered with the Medical and Dental Council, the regulatory body for medical practitioners in Ghana.
Prof. Yorke underscored the medical profession’s commitment to patient confidentiality as a fundamental ethical principle ingrained in training and practice.
“The Hippocratic oath enjoins all doctors to maintain patient confidentiality even after the death of the patient. He quickly admitted that there however, exceptional circumstances that patient information may be divulged as may be permitted by law,” the GMA vice president said.
He acknowledged that there are exceptional circumstances where patient information may be disclosed, as permitted by law.
Citing the Hippocratic oath, which binds doctors to maintain patient confidentiality even after death, Prof. Yorke emphasized the importance of upholding this principle.
He urged the public to disregard the malicious publications aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the medical profession and called upon law enforcement to investigate the impostor and ascertain the motives behind the publications.