The Minority in Parliament has strongly criticised the government’s decision to suspend the Chief Executive Officer of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. (Med) Paa Kwesi Baidoo, arguing that the move fails to address the real causes of overcrowding at the facility.
In a statement released on Sunday, June 7, the opposition caucus described the suspension as a rushed and reactionary measure that would not solve the longstanding challenges facing one of Ghana’s busiest referral hospitals.
The statement, signed by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, stressed that the persistent “no bed syndrome” at KATH stems from inadequate infrastructure and limited healthcare capacity rather than the actions of a single administrator.
“The ‘no bed syndrome’ at KATH is fundamentally a capacity problem and an infrastructure problem,” the statement said.
“Punishing one hospital administrator may create headlines, but it will not create additional beds, equip emergency wards, recruit specialist staff, or decongest referral centres.”
The controversy follows the suspension of Dr. Baidoo amid growing public concern over congestion at the hospital’s Emergency Department.
According to the Minority, the situation at KATH has worsened because several healthcare facilities built to reduce pressure on the hospital have not become fully operational.
The caucus pointed to the 300-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua, the 250-bed Afari Military Hospital, and the Agenda 111 hospitals at Trede and Kokoben-Oforikrom.
Although authorities commissioned these facilities in 2024, they are yet to function at full capacity.
The Minority argued that previous investments in healthcare infrastructure were specifically intended to strengthen tertiary and referral services while easing the patient load on KATH.
“Under the previous administration, significant investments were made to expand tertiary and referral healthcare capacity,” the caucus stated.
The opposition also questioned whether political factors may have contributed to the delays in operationalising some of the completed facilities.
It noted that the Ashanti Region has traditionally not been considered a strong electoral base for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
As part of its recommendations, the Minority called on the government to reinstate the suspended CEO while an independent investigation is conducted into the matter.
The caucus further urged authorities to immediately activate completed health facilities across the Ashanti Region and engage healthcare professionals on issues related to infrastructure deficits, staffing shortages and referral management systems.
Meanwhile, the dispute has heightened tensions at KATH. Doctors at the hospital began a total withdrawal of services on June 6 in protest against overcrowding at the Emergency Department and the suspension of the CEO.
Nurses and midwives have also threatened to join the industrial action.
The National Labour Commission has since stepped in and directed the doctors to suspend the strike.
The Commission maintained that the notice of industrial action did not comply with the requirements of Ghana’s Labour Act.
