Prince Addo Sang-Egye, a former causal worker of STN Services limited, a contractor firm to Coca-Cola Bottling Company Limited, has appealed to Government to help him claim the remaining of compensation due him as a result of an industrial accident.
He said on June 3rd 2002, he fell from a sale truck while working for Coca-Cola Bottling Company resulting in persistent disability low back pain.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday, Prince Sang-Egye said: “I have since had multiple consultations for the injury; orthopedics surgeons, neurosurgeon and physiotherapist, but I could not recover well enough to return to work.”
He said his contract with STN Services limited was terminated immediately he was involved in the accident, and he had not received any pay after July 2002.
The victim said all attempts to persuade authorities of the two companies to pay the rest of his compensation had failed.
Prince Sang-Egye expressed worry that he could not see an end to his continual pain and health problem and that he was living on the benevolence of friends and relatives.
The victim, who said he completed Krachi Secondary School in 1994, and was peasant farmer until he came to Accra in 2002, lamented that because of ill-health, his financial situation had worsened and he could not take care of himself and the family.
A medical report signed by Dr Thomas Dakuran, Neurosurgeon, Department of Surgery Division of Neurosurgery, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and Dr Philip K. Amoo, Head, Occupational Health Unit, (KBTH), on 7th December 2009 confirmed the victim’s health condition.
It said “he underwent medical assessment for which 30 per cent incapacity was awarded in 2004.
“The main cause of his chronic pain and disability is degenerative disease of the spine. We believe that the degenerative process of his spine may have started prior to the accident. This is because of the involvement of his cervical spine which is a non primary injury site and the fact that he had been a peasant farmer”.
The report recommended that since Prince Sang-Egye’s low back pain was ongoing with acute exacerbation, requiring hospital treatment; he should be put on the National Health Insurance Scheme by his employers to take care of his problems.**