By Daniel Bampoe
Former Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom and private health practitioner, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, has issued a stark warning that Ghana’s worsening healthcare challenges are rapidly evolving into a national security threat, as growing pressure mounts on the government to reverse the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo.
His intervention comes amid an escalating dispute between healthcare professionals and the Ministry of Health following the controversial suspension of the KATH CEO over the hospital’s decision to temporarily halt new emergency admissions due to severe congestion at its Accident and Emergency Centre.
According to Dr. Adomako Kissi, Ghana’s healthcare system is currently facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions, driven by chronic infrastructure deficits, overcrowding, inadequate planning, and the persistent “No Bed Syndrome” that continues to endanger the lives of thousands of patients across the country.
The former legislator argued that the challenges confronting the major referral hospitals have moved beyond routine healthcare management concerns and now pose significant risks to national productivity, economic development and overall national security.
He noted that emergency healthcare delivery across the country is increasingly being stretched to its limits by growing numbers of road traffic accident victims, stroke patients, hypertensive emergencies, childbirth complications and other life-threatening medical conditions that require immediate access to beds and specialized care.
According to him, the inability of health facilities to adequately respond to these emergencies is creating a dangerous situation that threatens the country’s social and economic stability.
He warned that continued neglect of these systemic problems could have far-reaching consequences for Ghana’s development agenda.
Dr. Adomako Kissi further expressed concern about what he described as a growing tendency to punish healthcare leaders for decisions taken under difficult operational circumstances rather than addressing the structural weaknesses that create such situations.
The former lawmaker argued that recent decisions to suspend healthcare administrators for actions taken in the line of duty risk worsening tensions between government and healthcare professionals and could ultimately undermine confidence within the health sector.
The controversy surrounding KATH began after management of the hospital temporarily suspended emergency admissions due to severe congestion and capacity constraints at its Emergency Department.
The decision was intended to prevent further strain on resources and ensure the safety of patients and healthcare workers already being managed at the facility.
However, the move attracted the attention of Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who subsequently directed the hospital’s governing board to suspend Dr. Baidoo.
The decision sparked immediate opposition from doctors at KATH, who described the action as unjustified and later embarked on industrial action demanding the reversal of the suspension.
Dr. Adomako Kissi believes the minister’s decision failed to adequately consider the realities confronting healthcare professionals on the ground. While acknowledging that the Health Minister possesses statutory authority to take administrative action when necessary, he argued that the exercise of such authority must be guided by careful assessment of prevailing circumstances.
He stressed that patient safety and the welfare of healthcare workers should remain central considerations in any evaluation of decisions taken during periods of severe congestion and resource limitations.
Drawing on the medical principle of “first do no harm,” Dr. Adomako Kissi argued that healthcare professionals are obligated to avoid interventions that may place patients at greater risk.
He maintained that when a facility has exhausted its available bed capacity and can no longer guarantee safe clinical conditions, administrators are required to implement measures that protect both patients and healthcare personnel.
According to him, the focus of any investigation should therefore be on the underlying factors that led to the congestion crisis rather than on punitive measures against hospital management.
He further called for a comprehensive review of the regulatory framework governing emergency healthcare management across the country’s major referral hospitals, including KATH, the Tamale Teaching Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The former MP advocated the establishment of a stronger system of checks and balances that would allow independent regulators and healthcare experts to assess decisions made during emergencies before disciplinary actions are considered.
He warned that attributing systemic failures to individual administrators without addressing the broader institutional deficiencies would do little to solve the challenges confronting the healthcare system.
Dr. Adomako Kissi also threw his support behind calls for the immediate reversal of the KATH CEO’s suspension, arguing that such a move would create the conditions necessary for doctors to return to work and restore normal services at the hospital.
Beyond the current dispute, he called on government to urgently confront the structural issues at the heart of the healthcare crisis, including inadequate infrastructure, equipment shortages and delays in operationalising completed health facilities.
As part of his recommendations, he proposed that major teaching hospitals be allowed to supervise and collaborate with four Agenda 111 hospitals each in order to expand specialist healthcare services and improve access to medical care in underserved communities.
The former legislator questioned why several completed hospital projects remain underutilized despite the growing demand for healthcare services nationwide.
He argued that fully commissioning and equipping such facilities would significantly reduce pressure on the country’s major referral hospitals and help address the persistent bed shortages affecting patient care.
He warned that public frustration over healthcare challenges continues to grow and suggested that citizens may soon begin demanding greater accountability from authorities over delays in providing essential healthcare infrastructure and equipment.
