Ministry of Health defends KATH CEO suspension as strike disrupts services, Regional Minister seeks resolution
ACCRA,
Healthcare delivery at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) was severely disrupted over the weekend as doctors and nurses embarked on a strike, prompting the Ministry of Health to issue a press statement defending the suspension of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo.
The industrial action, which began on Saturday, June 6, 2026, has left thousands of patients stranded at Ghana’s second-largest referral hospital, with outpatient departments, elective surgeries, and other non-emergency services brought to a halt.
Ministry Says Strike “Unfortunate”, Explains CEO Suspension
In a 3-page press statement released on Sunday, June 7, 2026, the Ministry of Health said it “finds the turn of events at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital unfortunate” following the strike by members of the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association and the Nurses Chapter.
According to the Ministry, the strike was triggered by an administrative decision to suspend Dr. Baidoo for “non-compliance with established administrative procedures relating to the closure of a public health facility.”
The Ministry stated that the decision to suspend the CEO, who is an appointee of President John Dramani Mahama, was “carefully considered and taken in the interest of institutional accountability, patient safety, and the need to uphold administrative discipline within the health sector.”
A&E Closure Without Approval Cited as Reason
The core issue, the Ministry explained, was Dr. Baidoo’s public announcement of a cessation of admissions into KATH’s Accident and Emergency Unit. The Ministry said this directive was inconsistent with President Mahama’s standing order that all public health facilities must ensure emergency patients are not turned away under any circumstances.“It is important to place on record that the suspension arose from the public announcement of cessation of admission into the Accident and Emergency unit, which is inconsistent with the directive of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, regarding access to emergency healthcare services,” the statement read.
The Ministry added that it was concerned that the CEO announced the closure “without prior authorization from the KATH Board and the Ministry for Health.”
Clarification: Suspension Not Medical, Not About Regional Agreement
The Ministry was quick to clarify that Dr. Baidoo was suspended only from his administrative role as CEO, not from his duties as a Medical Officer. It also stressed that the action had “nothing to do with the internal arrangements agreed between the hospital and the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate.”
“During the State of the Nation Address, His Excellency directed all public health facilities to ensure that patients seeking emergency care receive the necessary attention and are not turned away under any circumstances,” the Ministry reiterated.
Patients Stranded as Services Disrupted
KATH serves over 12 million people across Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo, Bono East, and parts of the Northern and Western North Regions. Reports from Kumasi on Saturday and Sunday showed long queues of patients and relatives, many of whom had travelled long distances for treatment. Sources at the hospital said only critical emergency cases were being attended to by skeleton staff, while routine consultations and scheduled surgeries were postponed indefinitely.
Regional Minister Intervenes as Talks Continue
As the standoff continued, Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene intervened on Sunday, June 7, 2026, holding a crunch meeting with the leadership of the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association, the Ashanti Regional chapter of the Ghana Medical Association, and the Nurses and Midwives.
After hours of deliberations, Dr. Amoakohene told Citi News the outcome was positive. He said the associations’ leadership would brief their members before issuing a public statement on their decision to return to work.
The Regional Minister also announced plans to operationalize the Afari, Trede, Oforikrom, and Sewua hospitals to help ease pressure on KATH’s emergency and outpatient services.
Read the full statement below;
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