The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has defended the decision to suspend the Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, insisting that the action was necessary following the closure of the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit without the requisite approval.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, June 16, the Health Minister explained that the suspension was prompted by what he described as a clear violation of directives issued by President John Dramani Mahama regarding the treatment of emergency cases at health facilities across the country.
Akandoh maintained that the Executive Branch of government has the authority to take disciplinary measures when necessary, particularly in matters involving the implementation of government policy and the management of public institutions.
“I do not remember anytime that when the Executive is executing punitive actions, it needed the permission of Parliament to do so. On this floor of Parliament, the President issued a policy direction in the health sector that no health facility should turn away emergency cases and he added that even if the life of the person must be saved on the ground, we should do so and when the President speaks, it must be implemented.
“Let me put on record that absolutely nobody has the right to close any portion of a health facility without the consent of the Health Minister. After the President’s directive, there was a press statement which indicated that the accident and emergency unit of KATH is closed and no more patients can come there.”
