KATH Doctors Threaten To Strike Over the Suspension of the CEO
- The doctors and other workers of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) are talking about a possible strike due to a decision taken by the Minister of Health
- The possible strike action is in support of KATH's CEO, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, who was sanctioned by the Health Minister for the suspension of emergency admission
- According to the Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Doctors’ Association, Dr Michael Leat, all the unions will meet to determine their response to the Minister's directive
The doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) have reportedly indicated that they may embark on industrial action to show that they do not support the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo.
Source: Facebook
The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, directed the Board of KATH to suspend Dr Baidoo for two weeks with immediate effect.
The Minister asked that the CEO be sanctioned for the temporary suspension of emergency admissions.
In a letter dated June 5, 2026, the Minister said the CEO’s decision to announce a temporary suspension of emergency admissions was contrary to directives issued by President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Accra-based Citi FM, the unions at the hospital have rallied behind Dr Baidoo. They argued that the CEO did not make the decision alone but was rather part of a broader strategy agreed upon by health authorities to address severe congestion at the hospital’s emergency unit.
In an interview, Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Doctors’ Association (KADA), Dr Michael Leat, said that labour unions within the hospital would meet to determine their response.
"All the unions in KATH will be meeting, and in due course, you will hear our response, and it will be very strict. We will make our views known to the Health Ministry without sentiment after the meeting."
Dr Leat wondered why the CEO was singled out for disciplinary action when he did not make the decision alone.
"It was a decision of the Ashanti Regional Health Administration, KATH, and all the other hospitals. Why are all the other people not suspended?” he questioned.
“We, as professionals—nurses, doctors, pharmacists—who are at the frontline of treating patients, felt that was the best decision to make,” he added.
KATH halts emergency admissions temporarily
The controversy at KATH started when the hospital announced on June 3, 2026, that it would temporarily halt emergency admissions at its A&E Centre due to overcrowding and operational pressures.
The announcement caused a public uproar, considering the hospital’s critical role as a major referral centre serving the Ashanti Region and other parts of the country.
Source: YEN.com.gh
