Minority slams KATH CEO suspension, calls it ‘knee-jerk’ response to bed crisis
ACCRA, Ghana
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has faulted the government’s suspension of the Chief Executive Officer of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, KATH, describing the action as a hasty decision that does not tackle the deeper structural problems behind the hospital’s chronic bed shortages.
In a statement released on Saturday, June 7, 2026, and signed by Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Health Committee, the caucus said the move unfairly singles out one administrator for systemic failures that have plagued Ghana’s health sector for years.
‘Reactionary’ Move Won’t Solve Bed Crisis
The Minority argued that while accountability is needed for every avoidable patient death, removing the KATH CEO will not resolve the hospital’s longstanding congestion and capacity challenges.
“The decision by the government to suspend the Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital over the recent challenges associated with bed capacity and patient congestion is unfortunate, reactionary, and fails to address the underlying structural failures confronting Ghana’s health sector,” the statement read.
KATH, one of Ghana’s two main referral hospitals, has repeatedly struggled with “No Bed Syndrome” as patients compete for limited space in emergency and ward units. The caucus said the current pressure on the facility reflects years of underinvestment and stalled infrastructure.
Blame Placed on Delayed Infrastructure Projects
According to the caucus, the congestion at KATH is largely tied to healthcare projects that were started to decongest the hospital but remain incomplete or delayed.
The Minority highlighted two major facilities initiated under the previous administration: the 500-bed Afari Military Hospital and the Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua. Both were designed as alternative tertiary referral centres for the Ashanti Region and northern Ghana.
The statement said those hospitals were meant to increase tertiary bed capacity and reduce the patient load at Komfo Anokye. With construction and operationalization stalled, KATH continues to bear the full weight of referrals from across the middle and northern zones.
Calls for Systemic, Not Personal, Solutions
Dr. Afriye and the caucus maintained that suspending the CEO shifts blame away from broader governance and funding gaps in the health sector. They urged the government to focus on completing stalled hospital projects, improving referral systems, and expanding capacity rather than punitive personnel changes.
“Every preventable death deserves thorough investigation and accountability,” the caucus noted. “But the solution to KATH’s challenges cannot be found in removing one administrator while ignoring the infrastructure and capacity deficits.”
The Ministry of Health and the KATH Board have not publicly responded to the Minority’s statement. The suspension of the CEO comes amid renewed debate over patient congestion at the Kumasi-based hospital, with health unions also threatening industrial action if operational challenges are not addressed.
KATH serves patients from Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo, and the five northern regions, making it the primary referral centre for more than half the country.
The government is yet to issue a detailed response to the Minority Caucus statement.
Read the full statement below:
About The Author
