The Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has been suspended for two weeks following the hospital’s announcement that it would temporarily halt emergency admissions.
The decision was communicated by the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, in a letter dated June 5, 2026.
According to the Minister, the suspension takes immediate effect and followed what he described as the CEO’s announcement being inconsistent with directives issued by President John Dramani Mahama. He instructed the KATH Board to carry out the suspension under the relevant provisions of the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 526).
“Pursuant to Section 36(1) of the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 526), I am respectfully directing the Board to suspend the Chief Executive Officer for a period of two weeks with immediate effect,” the Minister stated.
The suspension comes after KATH announced on June 3, 2026 that emergency admissions would be paused due to challenges affecting healthcare delivery at the facility.
The Minister said a meeting involving officials from the Ministry—including the Chief Director, Technical Adviser, and Legal Adviser—concluded that the CEO’s actions did not align with the President’s directives.
In addition to the suspension, the Minister directed the Board to launch a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the emergency admissions announcement and a media interview granted by KATH’s Head of the Public Affairs Unit to Channel One News.
He added that the Public Affairs Unit was also alleged to have acted contrary to presidential directives by publicly commenting on the suspension of emergency admissions. The Minister therefore asked the Board to determine the authority under which the comments were made and whether management approved the interview.
The Minister further ordered that appropriate sanctions be applied if any breach is established. The Board has been given two weeks to complete its investigation and submit a report.
The development has sparked public concern over the temporary suspension of emergency admissions at the Kumasi-based referral hospital, which serves patients across Ghana’s middle and northern regions.
