The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has ordered the immediate suspension of the chief executive of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), one of the country’s largest referral facilities, following the hospital’s announcement that it was temporarily halting emergency admissions.

In a directive issued on Friday (5 June), Akandoh instructed the hospital’s board to suspend Chief Executive Officer Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo for two weeks pending investigations into the circumstances surrounding the decision.

The minister said the announcement, made on 3 June, was inconsistent with directives issued by President John Dramani Mahama regarding the management of challenges confronting the Kumasi-based hospital.

Under Section 36(1) of the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 526), the board was directed to enforce the suspension with immediate effect.

According to the minister, a review conducted by officials from the Ministry of Health, including its Chief Director, Technical Advisor and Legal Advisor, concluded that the CEO’s actions warranted disciplinary scrutiny.

The board has also been tasked with investigating comments made by the hospital’s Head of Public Affairs during a media interview concerning the suspension of emergency admissions.

Akandoh questioned the authority under which the spokesperson granted the interview and whether the comments reflected an official management position. He directed that appropriate sanctions be considered if any wrongdoing is established.

The board has been given two weeks to complete its investigations and submit recommendations to the ministry.

The directive follows public concern over the temporary suspension of emergency admissions at KATH, a key tertiary healthcare facility serving millions of people in Ghana’s middle and northern belts.

Hospital authorities have recently faced mounting pressure over operational challenges affecting healthcare delivery and service provision at the facility.