BY Daniel Bampoe
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has strongly criticized the government’s decision to suspend the Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), describing the move as a reactionary and misplaced response that fails to address the deeper structural problems responsible for the persistent “No Bed Syndrome” affecting healthcare delivery in Ghana.
In a statement issued on June 7, 2026, and signed by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, the Minority argued that while every preventable death within the healthcare system is unfortunate and deserves thorough investigation, holding the KATH Chief Executive solely responsible ignores years of systemic challenges that have plagued the country’s health sector.
The statement follows the government’s decision to suspend the KATH CEO, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo amid public concern over overcrowding, bed shortages and patient congestion at the second-largest referral hospital.
The issue has reignited national debate about healthcare infrastructure, referral systems and the capacity of major hospitals to cope with increasing patient numbers.
According to the Minority, the overwhelming pressure on Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is largely the result of delays in operationalizing several critical health facilities that were constructed specifically to reduce the burden on the hospital.
The Caucus pointed to the 500-bed Afari Military Hospital and the Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua as key projects initiated and substantially completed under the previous administration. It noted that these facilities were designed to absorb a significant portion of referral cases within the Ashanti Region and surrounding areas.
The Minority argued that instead of suspending the hospital’s chief executive, government should focus on ensuring that these facilities become fully operational and are integrated into the referral network to ease pressure on KATH.
“It is difficult to understand why a government that inherited these critical facilities would choose to suspend a hospital CEO rather than accelerate the full operationalisation of these hospitals and strengthen referral arrangements,” the statement said.
The Caucus further cited provisions in the 2026 Budget, which acknowledged that the Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua remains among several major health infrastructure projects requiring continued government attention.
According to the Minority, the government’s own policy documents admit that healthcare infrastructure expansion remains behind schedule, with a number of promised hospitals, specialized medical facilities, mobile outreach services and other interventions yet to be delivered.
The statement also raised concerns about what it described as a lack of urgency in bringing key health facilities into operation, particularly within the Ashanti Region.
The Minority questioned whether political considerations could be influencing decisions regarding the operationalization of major healthcare projects in the region.
“Many Ghanaians are beginning to wonder whether the apparent lack of urgency in bringing critical facilities such as the Sewua Hospital into full operation is influenced by the fact that the Ashanti Region is not considered a major electoral stronghold of the governing NDC,” the statement said.
The Caucus urged government to provide clear answers and demonstrate that access to quality healthcare is not being influenced by partisan political considerations.
The statement also highlighted two other major healthcare facilities commissioned in 2024 — the 100-bed Trede District Hospital and the 100-bed Kokoben-Oforikrom District Hospital.
According to the Minority, both hospitals were built with modern accident and emergency units, surgical theatres, diagnostic facilities, maternity wards and inpatient care services specifically to reduce patient pressure on KATH.
However, the Caucus claimed that nearly two years after their commissioning, the facilities remain largely non-operational despite the substantial public investment made in them.
“It is difficult to understand how Government can justify suspending the CEO of KATH for challenges arising from excess demand when two fully completed 100-bed hospitals, specifically built to absorb part of that demand, remain unable to provide the services for which they were constructed,” the statement noted.
The Minority maintained that the “No Bed Syndrome” is fundamentally a capacity and infrastructure problem rather than a leadership failure by one hospital administrator.
According to the Caucus, the crisis is rooted in inadequate healthcare infrastructure, weak referral systems, workforce shortages, resource allocation challenges and delays in completing and operationalizing key hospital projects.
The statement warned that removing a hospital CEO would not create additional beds, recruit specialist health professionals, equip emergency wards or solve congestion at referral hospitals.
As part of its recommendations, the Minority called on government to immediately revoke the suspension of the KATH CEO pending the outcome of an independent investigation.
The Caucus also demanded the immediate operationalization of the 300-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua, comprising a 250-bed regional hospital and a 50-bed infectious disease isolation and treatment centre, as well as the Agenda 111 hospitals at Trede and Kokoben-Oforikrom.
Additionally, the Minority urged government to act on concerns consistently raised by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and other healthcare professionals regarding the structural causes of the “No Bed Syndrome.”
The statement also criticized what it described as a growing “Rambo-style” approach to leadership within the health sector, arguing that consultation and stakeholder engagement were increasingly being replaced by unilateral decisions and public displays of authority.
The Caucus therefore appealed to the Minister for Health to adopt a more consultative, conciliatory and professional leadership style capable of building trust and confidence among stakeholders.
Furthermore, the Minority called for accelerated completion and operationalization of all stalled hospital projects across the country, particularly those intended to strengthen referral services and emergency healthcare delivery.
While expressing support for concerns raised by the Ghana Medical Association and the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association regarding due process and professional fairness, the Minority also cautioned against prolonged industrial action that could negatively affect patients who rely on KATH for life-saving services.
The Caucus therefore urged all parties to prioritize dialogue and constructive engagement, while calling on the Health Minister to immediately initiate discussions with doctors, hospital management and other stakeholders to restore normal services and prevent further deterioration of the situation.
The statement concluded that the challenges confronting KATH are merely symptoms of broader weaknesses within the healthcare system and warned that the suspension of the CEO risks diverting attention from the real issues affecting healthcare delivery.
“The health sector requires solutions, not scapegoats. The suspension of the KATH CEO may satisfy a temporary political narrative, but it does little to address the fundamental challenges confronting healthcare delivery in Ghana,” the Minority stated.
