Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
Doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi have declared a strike action following an emergency meeting of their association.
In a statement announcing the action, the doctors expressed disappointment over what they described as efforts to manage challenging conditions at the hospital, including congestion at the Emergency Department and other operational difficulties.
The statement, signed by the Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Doctors’ Association, Dr. Michael Leat, took exception to the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer of KATH by the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.
The meeting resolved to commence the strike action yesterday at 6:00 a.m.
The doctors further resolved not to call off the strike until the suspension of the CEO is reversed.
They also demanded that the Board issue clear policies regarding the management of situations where the hospital’s emergency capacity has been exceeded.
They said such policies should provide explicit guidance on patient overflow and the circumstances under which admissions may be restricted in the interest of patient safety.
The doctors further called on the Ministry of Health to provide clear timelines for the retooling of KATH and other hospitals in the Ashanti Region to ease the burden on healthcare facilities.
They added that their action is not intended to undermine healthcare delivery but rather to draw national attention to issues of patient and caregiver safety, clinical governance, professional accountability, and the sustainability of healthcare services at Ghana’s second-largest teaching hospital.
They also urged the Board to advocate interventions to address overcrowding at the hospital.
A Daily Guide Report