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Public Health Pharmacist, Susan Adu-Amankwah has condemned the decision by doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital to indefinitely suspend their services over confrontation with the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.

Speaking in an interview on TV3 New Day’s Big Issue, Thursday, April 24, 2025, Susan noted that putting lives on the line in this case is not the appropriate approach.

She said an apology should not be a basis for doctors to lay down their tools.

“I am hard-pressed to understand why the doctors would put other people’s lives on the line to get an apology and say that the atmosphere is hostile and etc.

“If they say that the apology is a deal breaker and that if he doesn’t apologise, they are not going to come to work and so lives should be lost, for me its really (misplaced). Who are they punishing? The poor people of Tamale and its environs or they think that they are punishing the minister.

“They have to realise that they should not be using other human beings as hostages to something,” she stated.

She added: “I would hope that yes, they can protest about lack of equipment, etc but apology should not be the deal breaker nor should even the lack of equipment be an avenue for them to say we are putting our tools down in reaction to the altercation.”

On April 23, 2025, the Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) declared an indefinite strike action with immediate effect.

“Following our earlier press release today, the Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital held an emergency general assembly meeting at 12 noon. The outcome of this meeting is as below: That with immediate effect, all members of DATTH have proceeded on an indefinite suspension of all emergency and outpatient services (General OPD, Antenatal clinic, Specialist clinic, Paediatrics OPD),” a part of the press release copied to the Minister of Health, Northern Regional Minister and President, Ghana Medical Association reads.

“Inpatient care shall continue for our clients currently on admission until they are safely discharged from the hospital,” they explained.

The leadership of DATTH made specific demands before they will resume duty.

1. Unqualified apologies from the Minister of Health, Honorable Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and the Member of Parliament for Tamale North Constituency, Honorable Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini should be rendered to Dr. Valentine Akwulpwa, all doctors of the Tamale Teaching Hospital and
staff of the Accident and Emergency department.
2. We shall resume provision of emergency and outpatient services after we receive appropriate apologies.
3. The management of the hospital should ensure that the following are available in the short term for us to work effectively:
a) Constant flow of water through the taps for clinical work
b) Stable electricity supply in the hospital
c) Constant supply of oxygen
d) Provision of consumable items such as gloves, gauze, cotton, face-masks, cannulae, sutures, syringes, disinfectants, glucometer strips, plaster, etc.
e) Constant supply of reagents to ensure continuous availability of essential laboratory tests within the hospital
f) One hundred continuous vital signs monitoring devices for all high dependency units in the hospital
g) Four ventilators at the accident and emergency department
h) Four ventilators at the intensive care unit
i) Two ventilators at the pediatric emergency ward
j) Two ventilators at the neonatal intensive care unit
k) Two ventilators at the maternal intensive care unit
l) Two transport ventilators
m) Two transport incubators at the obstetrics and gynecology department
n) Service and repair the 1000L autoclave machines at the CSSD
4. That in the medium term, the following must be provided to facilitate our work:
a) An MRI scan machine that does not use helium
b) A CT scan machine that has an infusion pump
c) A mammography machine
d) A fluoroscopy machine
e) A C-arm machine at the main theater
f) ABG machines in all intensive care units of the hospital and one at the accident and emergency department
g) Two mobile x-ray machines
5. DATTH will continue to engage management to ensure that the aforementioned in points 3&4 are available for healthcare delivery. We shall advise ourselves if there is failure to achieve the above within the shortest possible time.
6. That should any of our members feel threatened at any point in the provision of services within the hospital, they shall immediately remove themselves from such hostile environment for their own safety.
7. That all media houses that released false and biased reportage of the incident at the TTH accident and emergency during the health minister’s visit on 22/04/2025 should render apologies to DATTH on their platforms. DATTH shall not engage these media houses until this is done.”

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