The General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Richard Selormey, has declared support for his colleagues at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH).
He expressed disagreement with the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, over his outburst at the facility during a surprise visit following reports of alleged negligence that led to a patient’s death in the Accident and Emergency Ward.
During the minister’s visit, he engaged in a heated exchange with the Head of the Emergency Ward, which ultimately led to the removal of the Chief Executive Officer of TTH, Dr. Adam Atiku.
The doctors at TTH voiced their grievances over the situation, demanding that the CEO’s removal be reversed and that the minister must issue an apology. They cited the lack of equipment at the facility, which they claimed hindered their ability to save lives. The aggrieved doctors also threatened to lay down their tools if the apology is not rendered.
Speaking on The Big Issue on TV3 on April 24, 2025, Dr. Selormey stated that the GMA stands with the doctors of TTH and supports their request for an apology from the minister.
He said, “The way and manner in which he would not even listen to the doctor’s explanation when being asked a question, and instead shouted at him, is not the best.
It is only fair for the minister or the MP to call the doctor and address their concerns. Who benefits from this? The equipment they are requesting, will the doctors carry it home? The people complaining are not innocent bystanders; they are accomplices. How have the MPs in that area, for all these years that the hospital has had water problems, solved the water issue?
The apology is the first step in all of this. It helps calm tempers and signals to the public that certain things are being done. We, their colleagues, stand by them, that is what we are saying. We believe that the minister will listen, and we believe it is not beyond the minister and the MP to do so.”
In a recent development, the ministry has presented some medical supplies to the Tamale Teaching Hospital. The minister has also reportedly appealed to the doctors and other health professionals at TTH to suspend their strike and return to the negotiating table.
