DYING ENGINEER GETS BAKER HUGHES PLEDGE

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, 09 November 2015

Baker Hughes, US oil and gas services company operating in many African countries, says it does not intend to abandon one of its Ghanaian engineers who is reportedly dying in South Africa.

At a news conference in Accra on Thursday, the company said that it was collaborating effectively with medical professionals and the family of the engineer, Andrew Boateng to ensure that he receives the best healthcare to resuscitate him.

The sad story of Andrew Boateng, who is on admission at a home for the aged in Johannesburg, caught the attention of some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and rights activists whose protests compelled his employer Baker Hughes to reassess the medical care they were offering him.

Mr Boateng was said to be undertaking official rotational work in the Congo and Gabon for Baker Hughes when he got involved in a terrible accident at Port-Gentil, Gabon on April, 24 2014.

He was subsequently airlifted to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa in coma.

When he later regained consciousness, he reportedly spent a couple of weeks at the hospital and was first moved to Clayton Rehabilitation Centre and finally to another home for the aged called Serenity Home also in Johannesburg.

The company reportedly stopped catering for his needs.

A human rights activist in South Africa drew the attention of BUSINESS GUIDE to the plight of the engineer.

A complaint was subsequently lodged against Baker Hughes at the National Labour Commission (NLC).

At the press conference last Thursday, top gurus and external public relations outfit sought to explain the emerging issues to the Ghanaian media.

BUSINESS GUIDE later learnt that at the time the company’s management was explaining issues to journalists in Accra, some of their workers in Takoradi were peacefully demonstrating in solidarity with Andrew Boateng.

Tony Nwosu, Country Manager for Baker Hughes, said that the company did not have the authority or power of attorney to make decisions on behalf of Mr Boateng.

“This authority resides solely with his family, his primary caregiver and next-of-kin, in conjunction with the medical experts and the insurance provider. We nonetheless confirm that all decisions relating to Andrews’ previous and current medical care have been discussed between the family’s primary caregiver and the medical expert.”

Poju Adedeji, Legal and Compliance Director and Government Relations for Africa for Baker Hughes, who answered most of the questions at the media encounter, said that the company was committed to the health and safety of every employee and client in the country.

He said Baker Hughes provides finances to their insurers for Andrews’ continuous medical coverage based on the assessment of medical experts and the victim’s family and insisted that the insurance cover was not sub-standard as alleged.

“We will continuously provide for Andrews’ welfare throughout the duration of his therapeutic process.”

When asked to comment on why Mr Boateng was dumped at a home for the aged when he was nowhere near recovery, Mr. Adedeji said the transfers to the various facilities in Johannesburg had been done on the recommendations of his physician and denied that he was ‘dumped’ at the aged home.

He said Andrew Boateng is in Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg currently undergoing what he called ‘full re-assessment’ which was being done by a medical expert who has never handled Andrews’ case before.

“We have facilitated meetings between the family, insurance providers and medical experts since 2014. The company’s representatives have visited the engineer four times and we have been provided with regular updates.

“According to our records, Andrew is single with no primary dependent. However, it has been confirmed that he was a primary income earner for his mother and siblings prior to this accident. Therefore, Baker Hughes Ghana has made gratis arrangement for Andrews’ family to have ongoing access to his salary accounts. We have also retained Andrew on our payroll with non-reduced salary since the incident goes beyond the requirement of the labour laws in Ghana.”