The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has demanded the immediate reinstatement of the suspended chief executive of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr (Med) Paa Kwesi Aidoo, escalating a dispute over the management of overcrowding at one of the country’s busiest referral facilities.
The Association said after an emergency meeting on Saturday (6 June) that it fully backed the actions taken by KATH management to temporarily halt emergency admissions and redirect patients to other facilities amid severe congestion at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Centre.
The association described the decision as “the right and proper professional and administrative decision” consistent with international standards on patient safety and healthcare management.
Strong defence
According to the GMA, the measures did not deny patients care but ensured they were redirected to nearby hospitals while receiving support from KATH specialists.
The association said the coordinated response involving the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, Regional Coordinating Council and other health facilities led to a significant reduction in congestion and allowed the emergency unit to resume admissions within 24 hours.
The Ministry of Health on June 5 directed the KATH Board to suspend the hospital’s chief executive officer following the controversy surrounding the temporary suspension of emergency admissions.
No justification
But the GMA said both the initial query issued to the CEO and the subsequent suspension lacked justification.
“We therefore call for an immediate withdrawal of the directive to the Board of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to suspend the Chief Executive Officer and for his immediate reinstatement within the next three working days,” the association said.
The doctors’ body also endorsed the decision by the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA) to withdraw services until the suspension is reversed and measures are implemented to strengthen emergency healthcare capacity in Kumasi.
Support
The dispute has drawn support from several health worker groups, including the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, which has also defended the suspended CEO and blamed chronic resource constraints for the crisis.
The GMA further criticised Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, accusing him of actions that have undermined morale among health professionals and contributed to tensions between healthcare workers and the public.
The association urged the minister to abandon what it described as a confrontational approach and instead engage health workers constructively to address challenges facing the sector.
It warned that continued actions against healthcare professionals could prompt further responses from the association to prevent the health sector from descending into what it called “chaos.”
The GMA said it would continue monitoring developments and reconvene to determine its next course of action.
