A staff nurse at Nkenkaasu District Hospital in Ghana’s Ashanti Region is under fire for allegedly hurling abusive and inappropriate remarks at the country’s Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, in a viral social media video. The incident has prompted hospital management to issue a formal query letter to the nurse, demanding an explanation by month’s end or face potential disciplinary measures.
Ms. Bernice Aboagye, a staff nurse in the facility’s nursing department, has been accused of using “unprintable, inappropriate, and scandalous words” against the minister in the widely circulated footage. The video, which surfaced recently on various social media platforms, quickly drew widespread condemnation from Ghanaians, leading to a flood of calls to the hospital expressing outrage over the content.
In a strongly worded query letter dated October 10, 2025, Dr. Samuel Freeman Mensah, the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, detailed the allegations and cited multiple violations of the Ghana Health Service’s Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures. The breaches include:
- Rude behavior toward the Honourable Minister of Health, contravening Section 8(1)(c) of the code.
- Use of abusive language against the minister, in violation of Section 8(1)(f).
- Tarnishing the image of the service and bringing it into disrepute, contrary to Section 8.4(d).
“This office has observed that Ms. Bernice Aboagye—Staff Nurse Employee No. 14—has been captured in videos circulating on social media using unprintable, inappropriate, and scandalous words on the Honourable Minister of Health,” the letter states. It further notes that the hospital has received “several calls from well-meaning Ghanaians registering their misgivings and reservations about the content of the videos.”
The management emphasized that while the nurse may have intended to share information about service disparities, the manner in which she disparaged the minister was unacceptable and has damaged the reputation of the Ghana Health Service. A copy of the offending videos was attached to the query for Aboagye’s perusal.
Ms. Aboagye has been given until October 24, 2025, to submit a written response explaining why disciplinary action should not be instituted against her. The letter warns that failure to comply could result in further proceedings under the service’s guidelines.
The controversy comes amid ongoing tensions in Ghana’s healthcare sector, where frontline workers like nurses have frequently voiced frustrations over inadequate resources, staffing shortages, and working conditions. Health Minister Akandoh, who assumed office in early 2025 under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, has himself been vocal about professionalism among healthcare staff. In February, he issued a stern warning against “rude and unprofessional” behavior toward patients, pledging stricter enforcement of disciplinary measures while committing to improvements in working environments.
As of Saturday, neither Ms. Aboagye nor hospital officials have issued public statements on the matter. The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has yet to comment, though the union has previously engaged with the ministry on similar disciplinary issues.
This incident underscores the growing role of social media in amplifying workplace disputes within public institutions, raising questions about the balance between free expression and professional conduct in Ghana’s health sector. Further developments are expected as the deadline approaches.