GHS, Accuser in standoff

The Ghana Health Service is demanding a retraction from Yaa Bosomtwi         The Ghana Health Service is fending off damaging allegations of collusion with an international team of researchers accused of exploiting the ignorance of women in the Upper East Region. The team from the Colombia University which was conducting a family planning experiment in Navrongo is accused of wrongfully injecting a total of 7,500 women with drugs that inflict severe side effects. Their explicit consent, according to the accuser, was not sought. The women, it is alleged were also not told of the side effects. The drugs included Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection and an unknown oral contraceptive. Side effects of the Depo-Provera drug include cancer, increased risk of blood clots or stroke, unexpected pregnancy and irregular menstrual bleeding. The accuser, Yaa Bosomtwi, is a Public Health Specialist and a Human Rights Activist who graduated from the Colombia University. She also once worked with the team that conducted the experiment. Now, the Ghana Health Service is denying the allegations. Dr. Awoonor-Williams the Upper East Regional Health Director said the research team could not have breached any laid down research codes since their work was carefully supervised by the Ghana Health service. He said the women were taken through a pre-counselling section before the drugs were administered to them and has therefore demanded an immediate retraction of the accusation from Yaa Bosomtwi. But Yaa Bosomtwi told Joy FM’s Evans Mensah on Top Story that she would not retract what is “factual” and dared the Ghana Health Service to institute legal action against her if she has slandered the Service. Story by Myjoyonline.com/Joy News/Ghana