The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has called on medical professionals at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to suspend their ongoing strike and resume negotiations, prioritising patient welfare and healthcare delivery.
The strike follows the dismissal of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Atik Adam, by the minister after allegations of mismanagement and medical negligence linked to a patient’s death.
The decision came hours after an unannounced visit by the minister to assess conditions at the facility on Wednesday.
The removal of Dr Adam has sparked controversy, prompting hospital staff to initiate industrial action.
Tamale Teaching Hospital have declared an indefinite suspension.
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Speaking to the media on Thursday, April 24, the minister acknowledged staff concerns but reaffirmed his commitment to addressing their welfare and implementing lasting solutions.
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
Akandoh also stressed the need for improved resource management in the health sector, particularly in procurement and medical equipment maintenance.
While acknowledging government investments in infrastructure, he emphasised the importance of sustainable 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for the government to keep donating equipment to health facilities, and at the end of the day, when the equipment is obsolete, we run back to the government for money to either maintain or replace this equipment
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has criticised the minister’s handling of the situation and demanded a public apology.
However, Akandoh has not issued an apology, instead reiterating his call for an end to the strike.
