Former Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong, has appealed to striking doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to reconsider their decision and return to work, warning that their continued absence could endanger lives.
His appeal follows the indefinite suspension of emergency and outpatient services at the hospital by the Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) on April 23. The decision came in response to what they described as “unwarranted attacks” by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini during a recent ministerial visit.
President John Dramani Mahama had earlier dismissed the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Adam Atiku, following reports of alleged negligence that contributed to the death of a patient at the facility’s Accident and Emergency Ward.
The president’s decision sparked mixed reactions and heightened tensions in the already strained healthcare environment in the Northern Region.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, April 24, Acheampong acknowledged the doctors’ concerns but urged them to prioritise the lives of patients.
“I will appeal to the medical practitioners who have gone on strike… Anytime we have had issues, we have pleaded with them. In this circumstance, they are the ones that happen to save lives for us, so I will appeal to them to reconsider their stands,” he said.
He stressed that the matter was administrative and could be resolved through dialogue rather than actions that may put lives at risk.
“This is an administrative matter, so if there is anything that needs to be done, I know that the president is a human being and an experienced person. So if there are matters that need to be discussed, he would have to look at them,” he added.