The public has been reassured by Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene that attempts to put an end to the medical staff strike at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) are well underway, and there are signs that the employees may soon resume their jobs.
Speaking to the media following his visit to the hospital on Sunday, Dr. Amoakohene expressed optimism that a resolution was within reach and stated that parties were actively engaged in negotiation to bring the industrial action to a speedy end.
Following the suspension of Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, the hospital’s CEO, by Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, medical professionals at KATH began an indefinite withdrawal of services on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 0600 hours.
On June 3, 2026, KATH management announced a temporary suspension of emergency admissions at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Center, citing operational pressures and extreme overcrowding. This announcement sparked the debate.
The Health Minister then directed the KATH Board to suspend Dr. Baidoo for two weeks, stating that the decision to stop emergency admissions went against President John Dramani Mahama’s orders.
A notice of industrial action was also released on Saturday by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) at KATH. It warned that if the Health Minister’s order was not overturned, nurses and midwives would go on strike starting at 0800 hours on June 7, 2026.
It is believed that Dr. Amoakohene participated in high-level talks with labour leaders, the hospital board, and health authorities to find a solution that would allow all health professionals to resume their positions.
Additionally, the National Labour Commission (NLC) has called all parties to a formal hearing on June 10, 2026, and ordered the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA) to immediately call off the strike.
The facility’s doctors have stated that the industrial action will carry on until the CEO’s suspension is examined and overturned, as well as until the KATH Board establishes explicit guidelines for handling emergency capacity overruns.
In order to relieve strain on the referral center, the doctors are also urging the Ministry of Health to offer precise dates for the operationalisation of the Sewua Hospital and the Afari Military Hospital, as well as a plan for modernising KATH and other medical facilities in the Ashanti Region.
The Regional Minister asked patients and the public to be calm, telling them that the welfare of patients was still the first concern of all parties involved in the negotiations.
KATH is the primary tertiary referral hospital for the middle and northern regions, hence resolving the disagreement is of vital national interest.
Source: newsthemegh.com