The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has demanded the immediate reinstatement of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, calling the order to suspend him unwarranted and baseless.
The Association’s National Executive Council (NEC) took the position after an emergency session on Saturday, June 6, to discuss a June 5 directive from the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, telling the KATH Board to suspend the hospital’s CEO.
In a June 6 release signed by GMA President, Prof. Dr. (Med) Ernest Yorke, and General Secretary, Dr. (Dent) Richard Selormey, the group backed steps taken by KATH management during the recent overcrowding crisis at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Centre.
The GMA said the actions rolled out by management aligned with globally recognised benchmarks for patient safety and health administration.
“The actions taken by the management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) was the right and proper professional and administrative decision in line with best practice in patient safety and responsible healthcare leadership across the world.
”The Association dismissed claims that the hospital had left patients stranded or defied instructions from President John Dramani Mahama. Rather, it maintained that the temporary diversion of patients was a vital measure to guarantee safe and prompt medical care.
“The actions taken did not turn away patients to their fate or flout the President’s directive but rather redirected patients and ensured they received safe and timely care at nearby hospitals with support from specialists from KATH.
”The GMA added that the intervention, done in partnership with the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, the Regional Coordinating Council, various health facilities, and health workers in the region, effectively reduced strain on the emergency unit.
