Health Minister Should Rather Be Sacked – Allotey Jacobs

 Central Regional Communications Director of the
governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey
Jacobs, has posited that President John Evans Atta Mills should
rather relieve Joseph Yieleh Chiereh off his duties as Health
Minister rather than Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, one-time
Honorary Director-In-Charge of the National Cardiothoracic Centre
(NCTC).Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng was sacked as per a letter
signed by the sector minister, Yieleh Chireh on Thursday, August
25th, and copied to the President, Prof J.E.A. Mills, the Chief of
Staff, John Henry Martey Newman and the Deputy Minister of Health,
Rojo Mettle Nunoo. His dismissal took immediate effect.A copy of
the letter terminating the appointment of the renowned surgeon and
sighted by peacefmonline.com reads; “In view of
your transfer from the Ministry Of Health (MOH) to University of
Ghana Medical School (UGMS) your appointment as honorary director
in charge of the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) has been
terminated with immediate effect. We take this opportunity to thank
you for your service rendered to the NCTC and wish you
well”. But aghast at the decision, Doctors at the
Korle Bu Cardiothoracic Centre have laid down their tools demanding
the re-instatement of Prof. Frimpong Boateng. They have also
submitted a five page petition to the government giving reasons why
the renowned heart surgeon should not be treated in such a cavalier
manner after his invaluable services to the nation.Obviously
disgruntled with the decision to do away with the services of the
renowned surgeon, Allotey Jacobs, speaking as a panelist on
Peace FMÂ’s flagship programme
‘Kokrokoo’, demanded that the
Health Minister should explain to Ghanaians what his motivations
were to take such an action, adding that he does not understand why
the lives of innocent patients should be toyed with at the expense
of politics. 

“Ghanaians should learn sometimes how to be
bi-partisan when it comes to the national interest and on national
issuesÂ…for us to grow Ghana when it comes to national
interest and I think for Frimpong Boateng to go, the minister
should rather goÂ…am telling you. You see, government
is faced with some form of embarrassment,
especiallyÂ…with STX, and when people are bombarding
us from left to right, then you come and add more petrol or
kerosene to the fire, do you think it augurs well?Â…we
wonÂ’t defend because there are some issues which are
indefensible and we will talk aboutÂ…for the sake of
the party, people should know that there are independent minded
people in the party and we will speak our mind so far as the
constitution allows us…,” he
said.Meanwhile, President Mills, on Monday, August 29th, convened a
meeting to receive a full brief on the situation and also to
consider a petition sent to his office by doctors and staff of the
Cardiothoracic
Centre.  Source: Rebecca
Quaye/Peacefmonline.com