Doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) are signalling possible industrial action following the suspension of Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo over the temporary suspension of emergency admissions.
Citi News sources at KATH have indicated that growing discontent among medical staff could culminate in a strike, with the leadership of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) expected to meet on Saturday, June 6, to deliberate on the matter and determine the next course of action.
The development comes amid escalating tensions at the country’s second-largest referral hospital after the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, directed the Board of KATH to suspend Dr Baidoo for two weeks with immediate effect.
In a letter dated June 5, 2026, the Minister said the CEO’s decision to announce a temporary suspension of emergency admissions was contrary to directives issued by President John Dramani Mahama.
However, unions at the hospital have rallied behind Dr Baidoo, arguing that the decision was not taken unilaterally but formed part of a broader strategy agreed upon by health authorities to address severe congestion at the hospital’s emergency unit.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Friday, June 5, Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Doctors’ Association (KADA), Dr Michael Leat, disclosed that labour unions within the hospital would be meeting to determine their response.
“All the unions in KATH will be meeting, and in due course, you will hear our response, and it will be very strict. We will make our views known to the Health Ministry without sentiment after the meeting,” he said.
Dr Leat questioned the rationale behind singling out the hospital’s CEO for disciplinary action when the decision, according to him, involved multiple stakeholders within the health sector.
“It was a decision of the Ashanti Regional Health Administration, KATH, and all the other hospitals. Why are all the other people not suspended?” he questioned.
He further maintained that healthcare professionals directly responsible for patient care considered the temporary suspension necessary under the circumstances.
“We, as professionals—nurses, doctors, pharmacists—who are at the frontline of treating patients, felt that was the best decision to make,” he stated.
The controversy stems from KATH’s announcement on June 3 that it would temporarily halt emergency admissions at its A&E Centre due to overcrowding and operational pressures.
The move sparked public concern given the hospital’s critical role as a major referral centre serving the Ashanti Region and other parts of the country.
The suspension of Dr Baidoo has since triggered backlash from sections of the medical community. With unions expected to announce their position after Saturday’s meeting, attention is now turning to whether the standoff could escalate into industrial action, potentially disrupting healthcare delivery at one of Ghana’s busiest hospitals.
