The Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah has revealed that over 200 nurses and other health professionals ditched the hospital in 2023.
According to Prof. Addai-Mensah, the absence of those nurses is hunting operations in the health facility.
The CEO of KATH disclosed this in an interaction with Finance Minister, Mohammed Amin Adam, and his team while on a tour of the facility in the Ashanti Region.
Prof. Addai-Mensah appealed to the government to allow authorities to replace the departed staff to enhance service delivery.
“In the past year, we have had over 200 nurses leave Komfo Anokye. Every day, I have had to approve three to five applications for either leave of absence or resignation, mostly nurses, radiographers, and medical laboratory scientists, and so we are praying that we should be allowed to replace these people who are leaving so that we can continue with the care that we are supposed to be giving to our patients.”
The hospital also grapples with an acute equipment deficit, for which Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah urged the government to commit to retooling the various departments.
“One of the major things we are facing is the retooling of the hospital. We are aware of the difficulties that the government has had concerning COVID-19 and others. Still, we believe that it is also possible for some help to be extended [to us] as far as retooling is concerned, especially given the fact that we are serving twelve regions”.
Dr. Amin Adam, together with his finance team is currently on an official visit to the Ashanti Region, to inspect various projects ongoing in the Region.
On the first day of his visit, Dr. Amin Adam assured of the government’s dedication to resuming and completing stalled projects in the Ashanti Region.
Addressing the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, and some officials, the Finance Minister stressed the pivotal role of the Ashanti Region in Ghana’s economic development and the need to execute essential projects in the region.
These include the Kumasi International Airport, the Kejetia Redevelopment Market, and the Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
According to Dr. Amin Adam, the government has been unable to complete some projects in the region due to some challenges.