The Minority in Parliament has criticised the government’s suspension of the chief executive of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr (Med) Paa Kwesi Baidoo, describing the move as a hasty response that fails to tackle the deeper causes of chronic overcrowding at one of the country’s busiest referral hospitals.

In a statement issued on Sunday (7 June), the opposition caucus said the decision to suspend the hospital’s CEO was “reactionary” and would do little to resolve longstanding infrastructure and capacity challenges facing the health sector.

“The ‘no bed syndrome’ at KATH is fundamentally a capacity problem and an infrastructure problem,” the statement, signed by Dr Nana Ayew Afriye, ranking member of Parliament’s Health Committee, said.

“Punishing one hospital administrator may create headlines, but it will not create additional beds, equip emergency wards, recruit specialist staff, or decongest referral centres.”

The controversy follows the suspension of the KATH chief executive amid growing public concern over congestion at the hospital’s Emergency Department.

The Minority argued that pressure on the Kumasi-based teaching hospital has been exacerbated by delays in operationalising health facilities that were intended to ease the burden on KATH.

It pointed to the 300-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua, the 250-bed Afari Military Hospital and Agenda 111 hospitals at Trede and Kokoben-Oforikrom, all commissioned in 2024 but yet to become fully operational.

“Under the previous administration, significant investments were made to expand tertiary and referral healthcare capacity,” the caucus said, adding that the facilities were specifically designed to reduce patient load at KATH.

The opposition also questioned whether political considerations had contributed to delays in opening some of the facilities, noting that the Ashanti Region is not traditionally considered a strong electoral base of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Minority called on the government to immediately reinstate the suspended CEO pending an independent investigation, operationalise completed health facilities in the Ashanti Region and engage health professionals on concerns relating to infrastructure, staffing shortages and referral systems.

The dispute has triggered industrial unrest at KATH, Ghana’s second-largest teaching hospital. Doctors began a total withdrawal of services on 6 June, citing overcrowding in the Emergency Department and dissatisfaction with the CEO’s suspension. Nurses and midwives have also threatened to join the action.

Meanwhile, the National Labour Commission ordered the doctors to call off the strike, saying the notice of industrial action did not comply with provisions of the country’s Labour Act.