Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, Chief Executive Officer of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, has labeled the petition against the extension of his tenure as “bizarre.” He attributes the petition to resistance against new accountability measures he has introduced.
On July 26, 2024, six health unions—comprising the Health Service Workers Union, Ghana Federation of Allied Health Professionals (Korle Bu chapter), Health Accounting Staff Association of Ghana, Korle Bu Senior Staff Association, Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association, and Ghana Registered Nursing and Midwives Association (GRNMA)—jointly petitioned the Ministry of Health to oppose extending Dr. Ampomah’s tenure.
The unions’ petition cites reasons such as operational inefficiencies, delays in approvals leading to shortages of essential supplies, and conflicts of interest between the CEO’s personal interests and hospital goals.
They argue that extending Dr. Ampomah’s tenure would hinder the hospital’s progress and negatively affect both staff and patients.
In an interview with Bernard Avle on The Point of View on Channel One TV, Dr. Ampomah remarked, “I have avoided coming into the public domain because there are many issues that have arisen over these four years.
As the saying goes, if you fight corruption, corruption fights back. Therefore, some of these challenges are not surprising to me.”
“Look at the first reason that was given- we are a health care service delivery organisation, when have you heard that Korle-Bu patients are not been seen or operations are not being done because the CEO is absent? And so this is very bizarre.
We have introduced some serious accountability system checks, of course, nobody is going to be happy with accountability. That is one of the things, but I have refrained from [commenting]. I can give you lots of examples.”
Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah expressed doubts about the authenticity of the petition against him, questioning why the petitioners failed to sign their names.
He accused the petitioners of engaging in “shadowboxing” by hiding their true identities from the public.
Dr Ampomah revealed that both the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) and the Health Service Workers Union initially denied knowledge of the petition, with the latter later issuing an apology.
“Was there any name? [in the petition], why were there no names? Anybody can come up with this document. If you want to pen such a serious document, then at least you add your name, so that we know who we are addressing.
“But at the moment, it’s like shadowboxing. You see some positions. Because the GRNMA President came out to say look, we [they] don’t have anything [asuch], the Health Service Workers Union, their General Secretary was in my office and said look, I apologise to you, we don’t have anything and this is not the thinking of the union.
“Every one of the unions, when my Human Resources contacted them.
The executives said this took us [them] by surprise, we [they] have not had any meetings or discussions whatsoever to come out with anything like this. It’s probably one or two people within the unions who have their own agenda.”
