Health Minister orders suspension of KATH CEO over Emergency admissions directive

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has directed the Board of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to suspend the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, for two weeks with immediate effect.

The directive, contained in a letter dated June 5, 2026 and addressed to the Board Chairman of KATH, did not specify whether the suspension would be with or without pay.

The Minister also instructed the Board to investigate the Head of Public Affairs at KATH, Mr Kwame Frimpong, over a media interview in which he explained the hospital’s decision regarding emergency admissions.

The action follows the CEO’s directive on June 3, 2026, which announced the suspension of admissions at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Centre due to congestion.

In the letter, the Minister invoked Section 36(1) of the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 526), stating that the CEO is being suspended for authorising the announcement of the suspension of emergency admissions.

“I am respectfully directing the board to suspend the CEO for a period of two weeks for causing to be announced the suspension of admissions to the hospital’s emergency centre,” the letter stated.

The Minister further directed that Dr Baidoo report to him after the two week suspension period. He also noted that during a meeting on June 4, 2026, attended by the Chief Director, Technical Advisor, and Legal Advisor, the CEO admitted acting contrary to a directive from President John Dramani Mahama.

The letter also raised concerns over media comments made by the Head of Public Affairs Unit, Mr Kwame Frimpong, regarding the hospital’s emergency admission situation. The Minister questioned the authority under which the interview was granted and instructed the Board to investigate whether it was a management approved communication.

He directed that a full report be submitted within two weeks, with appropriate sanctions applied where necessary.

Earlier, on June 3, 2026, the Minister had summoned the KATH CEO after the hospital announced a temporary suspension of new emergency admissions due to congestion at the facility.

A query issued by the Ministry indicated that the hospital’s announcement and related media statements contradicted a directive from President John Dramani Mahama, which instructed health facilities not to turn away emergency cases.

The CEO was subsequently asked to appear before the Minister by 12 noon on June 4, 2026 to justify why disciplinary action should not be taken.

Following the developments, KATH later resumed limited emergency services within 24 hours of the initial announcement, indicating that only critical emergency cases would be admitted.