Why Ghana health ministry suspend Komfo Anokye Hospital CEO wey cause health workers strike?

Health workers for Ghana second largest hospital – Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital dey on strike in solidarity of dia CEO wey di health ministry don suspend on 5 June 2026.

Doctors and nurses ova di weekend bin turn away patients sake of dem "lay down dia tools".

Inside one letter to di board of di hospital, di health minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh suspend di CEO Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo wit immediate effect.

"Pursuant to section 36 (1) of di Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 526), I dey direct di board to suspend di CEO for two weeks sake of im cause say make dem announce di suspension of emergency admission cases to di hospital on Wednesday 3 June."

Di letter further add say "di CEO admit say im act against di clear directives of di president wit dat announcement."

President John Mahama for im state of di nation address on 27 Febraury 2026 announce say no health facility gatz turn away patients wey dey need emergency care, afta one engineer die when three public hospitals turn am away afta one motor accident.

"Patients wey dey face medical emergencies gatz receive health care even if na under makeshift conditions, you no need comfortable bed to treat patient," president Mahama tok during dat address.

Im add say di health ministry gatz ensure say dem put in place guidelines to deal wit di "unacceptable no-bed syndrome."

Sake of dis, di health minister decide to suspend di CEO of di Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital wey be di second largest teaching hospital for Ghana wey dey cater for di Northern belt of di kontri and even care for patients from outside di kontri.

Why KATH announce say dem suspend admission of new emergency cases for di first place

For one interview on top local network Channel One TV, tok-tok pesin for di hospital explain why dem suspend admission of new emergency cases.

Di hospital tok say di Accident and Emergency center bin dey overcrowded wit plenty cases na so dem suspend fresh cases for 24 hours.

Dem tok say di center wey gatz take up to 37 patients bin currently get more than 60 patients wey dey need critical care wey anoda 30 odas bin dey wait for bed.

"So say di life of critically ill patients for di emergency center no go dey for danger, management decide to stop fresh emergency cases temporarily to attend to di backlog of cases bifor we go admit new ones," di statement from di hospital explain.

Di hospital management advise pipo to visit oda health care facilities to receive treatment during di period dem no dey admit new cases.

Na dis di health minister tok say na against di president directive wey im order investigation into di case as im suspend di CEO.

"I dey request say di board of di hospital go chook eye into dis mata wey di tok-tok pesin for di hospital gatz explain who give am authority to grant dat interview to announce say dem suspend fresh admission of emergency cases," di health minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh add.

"You gatz submit report for dis case to me in two weeks."

Di hospital meanwhile later announce say dem resume admission of fresh accident cases afta di congestion problem improve on 3 June, 2026.

Doctors for KATH, health workers go indefinite strike in solidarity wit dia CEO

On 6 June, di Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (Kada) withdraw dia services afta di suspension of dia CEO Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, afta dia emergency meeting.

Di doctors say di temporary suspension of fresh admissions for di facility be "important clinical and administrative intervention to prevent avoidable deaths and preserve patient safety sake of di congestion and overcrowding."

Di doctors say instead say di health ministry go support di hospital to deal wit di congestion, dem rather suspend dia CEO.

Dem condemn di suspension wey dem describe am as "unjustified".

Since di strike on 6 June, health workers for dia bin dey turn away patients throughout di weekend.

Di doctors dey demand

Di doctors say dia strike no be to undermine healthcare delivery.

Di National Labour commission (NLC) describe di strike as illegal.

Inside one statement, di NLC say di doctors no comply wit di legal processes wey dey govern declaration of strike.

"Di Komfo Anokye Doctors dey advised say dia notice no dey properly served sake of e neva comply wit di labour law. Di commission dey direct di doctors to call off dia strike immediately as e dey against section 162 and 163 of Act 651."

Di Ashanti Regional minister Dr Frank Amoakohene on Sunday say im hold meeting wit di striking doctors and oda health workers for di Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to call off dia strike.

Im tok say di doctors go soon release public statement on di status of di strike, but as tins stand, dem still dey strike.