Doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) have spoken out against a query issued to the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. (Med) Paa Akwasi Baidoo, following recent congestion at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Centre.
In a statement dated June 4, 2026, the Komfo Anokye Doctors’ Association (KADA) described the move as a “knee-jerk response” to deeper problems affecting healthcare delivery.
According to the doctors, management’s decision to work with nearby hospitals and coordinate patient care during the period of overcrowding was the right thing to do.
They stressed that the move was “not an act of refusing care but rather an act of responsible clinical governance.”
KADA explained that KATH, which serves as the main referral hospital for the Ashanti Region as well as the middle and northern parts of Ghana, is currently facing severe pressure due to overcrowding, limited resources, and a growing number of patient referrals.
The association noted that the hospital handles a much heavier workload than many other health facilities across the country.
“KATH is not merely another hospital within the health system. The burden placed on the institution far exceeds that of most healthcare facilities in Ghana,” KADA said.
The doctors argued that hospital leaders had a responsibility to act when the facility reached its limits.
“It would have been professionally irresponsible for hospital leadership to ignore clear capacity limitations and allow patients to accumulate in unsafe conditions merely to create the impression that services remained unaffected,” the statement added.
KADA said it was worried that the query directed at the CEO appeared to place blame on hospital leadership instead of focusing on the bigger challenges facing the health system.
The association believes that leaders who make difficult decisions to protect patients should be supported rather than punished.
It urged authorities to ensure such leaders are “supported and engaged constructively rather than publicly subjected to disciplinary processes without a comprehensive review of the prevailing circumstances.”
The doctors described the situation as a warning sign that KATH is carrying an unsustainable burden and that more healthcare facilities are needed to share the workload.
KADA said the incident should serve as a “wake-up call regarding the increasing pressure on KATH and the urgent need to strengthen referral capacity within the Ashanti Region and beyond.”
The association also pointed out that while hospitals in Greater Accra have seen significant infrastructure expansion over the years, similar investment has not happened in the Ashanti Region.
To illustrate the gap, KADA compared Kumasi South Hospital with the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, saying there are clear differences in infrastructure, resources, and capacity.
The doctors called on the Ministry of Health to speed up the full operation of key health facilities in the Ashanti Region, including Afari Military Hospital and Sewua Hospital.
According to KADA, making these facilities fully functional would help ease pressure on KATH and improve healthcare delivery across the region.
The statement was signed by the Chairman of KADA, Dr. (Med) Michael Leat.
