Medical doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) have declared a total withdrawal of services effective Saturday, 6th June, 2026.
The industrial action follows the directive by the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, to the Board Chairman for the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to be suspended.
In an official notice dated 5th June 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the Hospital Board, the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA) said the decision was unanimously reached during an emergency meeting.
The doctors are protesting the suspension of their CEO, a disciplinary measure they describe as “unjustified and counterproductive” under the prevailing circumstances.
According to the doctors, the CEO was penalised for implementing necessary administrative interventions to manage severe, unprecedented congestion within KATH’s Emergency Department.
These measures included a temporary halt on new emergency admissions and coordination with surrounding health facilities.
KADA contends that these actions were critical clinical choices aimed at preventing avoidable loss of life and preserving patient and caregiver safety in the face of immense capacity constraints.
As detailed in the correspondence, KADA has laid out strict conditions that must be met before members return to their posts.
First, the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer must be reviewed and reversed.
Second, the Hospital Board must issue explicit policies regarding the management of emergency capacity overruns, including guidance on patient overflow and when admissions can be restricted for safety reasons.
Finally, the Ministry of Health must provide clear, actionable timelines for the operationalisation of the Sewua Hospital and Afari Military Hospital, alongside a timeline for retooling KATH and other facilities within the Ashanti Region to relieve the systemic burden.
KADA emphasised that KATH serves as the principal tertiary referral hospital for the middle and northern sectors of Ghana.
The facility operates under critical infrastructure limitations while managing a constantly increasing patient load.
The Association maintains that the ongoing gridlock reflects deep-rooted systemic problems requiring policy and infrastructure solutions, rather than punitive actions against healthcare administrators trying to handle the consequences.
“This action is not intended to undermine healthcare delivery but rather to draw urgent national attention to issues of patient and caregiver safety, clinical governance, professional accountability, and the sustainability of healthcare services at Ghana’s second-largest teaching hospital,” stated Dr Michael Leat, Chairman of KADA, who signed the resolution.
The Association urged the Hospital Board to engage with the Ministry of Health and relevant stakeholders immediately to reach an amicable resolution and prevent further disruption to regional medical care.
By Benjamin Aidoo
