The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has made an appeal to medical doctors and health professionals at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), urging them to call off their ongoing strike and return to the negotiation table for the sake of patients and the broader healthcare system.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr Atik Adam, was relieved of his duties by the minister, following allegations of mismanagement and medical negligence linked to the death of a patient at the facility.

The dismissal was announced just hours after the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, made an unannounced visit to the hospital in Tamale on Wednesday to assess conditions on the ground.

Addressing the media on Thursday, April 24, the Minister acknowledged the concerns raised by staff at the facility but emphasised his commitment to championing their welfare and fostering sustainable solutions.

Kwabena Mintah Akandoh speaking to the media

“My humble appeal to the wonderful medical doctors and health professionals at the Tamale Teaching Hospital is that I am the first person to take care of your interest. Therefore, let’s call off the strike and let’s all regroup and strategise going forward,” he said.

Mr Akandoh further highlighted the need for a shift in the management of resources within the health sector, particularly in the areas of procurement and maintenance of medical equipment.

He noted that while the government continues to invest in hospital infrastructure and supplies, there must be a more sustainable approach to long-term asset management.

“There are some of the things we easily do with our internally generated funds. It is just not sustainable for the government to keep donating equipment to health facilities, and at the end of the day, when the equipment is obsolete, we run back to the government for money to either maintain or replace this equipment,” he cautioned.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has condemned the minister’s actions at the facility and demanded an apology from him. Source: Emmanuel Tetteh