American-Ghanaian comedian Michael Blackson has publicly criticised the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) following the death of his mother, accusing the hospital of medical negligence, misdiagnosis, poor patient care, and prioritising financial gains over the well-being of patients.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Blackson described UGMC as “the worst hospital in Ghana,” alleging that doctors and nurses repeatedly failed to correctly diagnose his mother’s condition while recommending costly medical treatments throughout her admission.
“To the University of Ghana Medical Centre where my mom suffered the last month of her life, I’ll like to tell you in my opinion that you are the worst hospital in Ghana. Your staff, meaning nurses and doctors, have no clue what they are doing and the only thing your hospital cares about is collecting money,” he wrote.
Michael Blackson Alleges Repeated Misdiagnosis at UGMC
According to the comedian, the hospital allegedly misdiagnosed his mother’s illness several times, leading to expensive treatment plans that he believes did not address her actual medical condition.
Blackson claimed the family spent approximately GH¢250,000 on medical bills within a month before doctors informed them that his mother had contracted an infection and later died.
“This University of Ghana Medical Centre misdiagnosed my mom so many times but also recommended the most expensive treatments to make sure they sucked enough money out of me,” he alleged.
Comedian Criticises Patient Care and Hospital Staff
Michael Blackson further accused some medical personnel at the facility of lacking compassion and empathy toward patients and their families.
While acknowledging that the hospital has modern infrastructure, he questioned the quality of healthcare services provided by its staff.
“The University of Ghana Medical Centre is kinda new and looks beautiful from the outside, but inside are not the best medical personnel. In my opinion, the staff have no sympathy and don’t give a damn about the patients,” he stated.
Family Reportedly Involved in Altercation at the Hospital
The comedian also alleged that his sister became involved in a physical confrontation with a male nurse during their mother’s admission.
He further claimed that the nurse later reported the incident to the police while the family was at the hospital identifying their mother’s body.
Michael Blackson Questions Hospital Communication
Blackson criticised what he described as poor communication from doctors throughout his mother’s treatment.
According to him, hospital officials contacted him promptly whenever payments were due but allegedly failed to provide regular updates about his mother’s health condition.
“University of Ghana Medical Centre called me every time payment was due, but the doctors never once called me to tell me how my mom was doing,” he said.
He also alleged that after his mother’s passing, the family was informed they needed to clear an outstanding hospital bill before receiving information regarding the cause of death.
Claims Over Planned Transfer and Legal Action
Blackson disclosed that his family considered transferring his mother to another healthcare facility after two weeks but claimed hospital staff later informed them she could not be moved because she required breathing support.
The comedian also expressed frustration with Ghana’s legal system, saying he would have considered suing the hospital over what he described as repeated missed diagnoses but doubted the process would be timely.
Advice to Ghanaians Living Abroad
Following the experience, Michael Blackson advised Ghanaians living overseas who intend to retire in Ghana to consider travelling to Europe or the United States for annual medical check-ups.
He argued that while Ghana remains a beautiful country for retirement, regular overseas health assessments could help ensure access to quality healthcare.
Michael Blackson Intensifies Criticism of UGMC
Concluding his statement, Blackson reiterated his belief that the University of Ghana Medical Centre places greater emphasis on revenue collection than patient care, describing his mother’s death as a painful experience that has left him deeply disappointed with the facility.
The University of Ghana Medical Centre had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
Source: newsthemegh.com