KATH nurses, midwives to join strike over CEO suspension, demand urgent retooling of the hospital
KUMASI, Ghana
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, KATH Branch, has served notice of industrial action at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, saying members will withdraw services from 8:00 am on Sunday, June 7, 2026, if the Minister of Health does not reverse the suspension of the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer.
The notice, signed by GRNMA KATH District Chairperson Josephine Boatamaa Asmah and Secretary Abraham Adu, was addressed to the Chairman of the Board of KATH on Friday, June 6. It was copied to the National President of GRNMA in Accra and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of GRNMA.
The move comes in solidarity with the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA) and other health worker unions at the facility, who have raised concerns about recent developments at the hospital.
GRNMA KATH: CEO Suspension “Not the Solution”
In the 2-page statement, the GRNMA district leadership said it considered recent events at KATH. It concluded that the two-week suspension of the CEO, directed by the Minister of Health, is “unnecessary and is definitely not the solution” to the hospital’s challenges. “
The two-week suspension of the Chief Executive Officer per directives of the Minister of Health is unnecessary and is definitely not the solution to the enormous pressure, infrastructural challenges, congestion, inadequate logistics, and resource constraints confronting the hospital daily,” the association stated.
The nurses and midwives argued that patient safety, quality healthcare delivery, and protection of patients cannot be achieved with the CEO’s suspension. They added that health professionals are already working under “extremely difficult conditions,” and changing that narrative requires systemic interventions, not administrative sanctions.
3 Demands to Avert Strike
To prevent the strike, GRNMA KATH presented three demands to the Ministry of Health and hospital authorities:
1. Expedite new facilities: The Ministry must fast-track the operationalization of long-awaited health facilities intended to decongest KATH and reduce the burden on the referral centre.
2. Urgent retooling and expansion: The association called for urgent retooling of KATH and its referral facilities, infrastructural expansion, and adequate resource allocation to enable the hospital to function effectively as a “true Centre of Excellence comparable to internationally recognized tertiary hospitals.”
3. Immediate reinstatement of CEO: The group demanded the immediate withdrawal of the CEO’s suspension and that he be empowered to manage the hospital to save lives and preserve the physical and mental health of staff, especially those in the emergency department.
Referral Pressure, Resource Gaps Cited
The statement emphasized KATH’s role as one of the largest referral and teaching hospitals in Ghana and the sub-region. It receives overwhelming patient referrals from several regions across the country.
“Considering that KATH continues to serve as one of the largest referral and teaching hospitals in Ghana and the sub-region, receiving overwhelming numbers of patient referrals from several regions across the country, the current infrastructure, existing equipment, logistics, and supplies have not matched the increasing number of patients or increasing healthcare demands placed on the hospital,” the GRNMA said.
The association expressed hope that the KATH Board would take necessary steps to ensure peace and harmony at the hospital and avert wide-scale industrial action that would gravely affect health service delivery.
“Kindly be assured that the GRNMA District branch at KATH remains committed to supporting policies and interventions that promote quality healthcare delivery, patient safety, and improved working conditions for healthcare professionals. Health Professionals deserve better!” the statement concluded.
Vice Chairperson Farzana Asamoah, Treasurer Nyalako Dzah, and Public Relations Officer Martha Adarkwah Yiadom signed the statement.
Potential Impact on Services
A withdrawal of nursing and midwifery services at KATH is expected to affect emergency care, maternity services, wards, and theatre operations. KATH serves as the main tertiary referral centre for Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo, Savannah, and the three northern regions, handling thousands of patients weekly.
The Ministry of Health and KATH management had not issued an official response to the strike notice at the time of publication.
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