The Minister of Health, Mintah Akandoh, has instructed the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Board to immediately sideline its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, for two weeks after the facility publicly halted emergency admissions.
The order was issued in a memo dated June 5, 2026, in response to the CEO’s move to declare a pause on emergency admissions at the hospital.
The Minister said the decision breached instructions given by President John Dramani Mahama on handling affairs at the teaching hospital.
“Pursuant to Section 36 (1) of the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 526), I am respectfully directing the Board to suspend the Chief Executive Officer for a period of two (2) weeks with immediate effect, for causing to be announced the suspension of admissions of emergency cases to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, June 3, 2026,” the letter stated.
Mr. Akandoh noted that a session with the Ministry’s Chief Director, Technical Advisor and Legal Advisor examined the issue and found the CEO’s conduct at odds with the President’s instructions.
The Minister has further tasked the Board to carry out a full probe into the events leading to the announcement, including remarks by the hospital’s Public Affairs head during a Channel One News interview.
The Minister stated that the Public Affairs Unit equally breached presidential instructions by speaking publicly about the emergency admissions halt.
“I am also respectfully requesting you to undertake a thorough investigation to establish on what authority he made those comments on Channel One Newsroom and whether it was a management decision for him to grant the said interview.
Where necessary, the appropriate sanctions should be applied,” the Minister directed.The Board has two weeks to conclude its inquiry and file a report detailing its findings and proposals.
The directive follows growing public unease over the temporary stoppage of emergency admissions at the Kumasi referral centre, which has been facing operational hurdles affecting health delivery and patient care.
