Doctors at Ghana’s premier referral hospital have begun withdrawing services following the failure of management to meet a negotiation deadline, adding a new industrial dispute to what has been a volatile year for labour relations at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The Korle-Bu Doctors Association (KODA) gave management until the close of April 30, 2026, to address two longstanding concerns before proceeding with the action. When the deadline lapsed without a satisfactory response, the Association confirmed the strike would go ahead, beginning with outpatient services and escalating to emergency and inpatient care if the dispute remains unresolved.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on April 30, KODA Secretary Dr. Joojo Nyamekye-Baidoo said the Association had exhausted its options. “Strike is the only option. We have engaged management enough, and they have not responded in good faith,” he said.
At the centre of the dispute is the alleged exclusion of Laboratory Physicians, specialists including pathologists, haematologists, and microbiologists, from the hospital’s Central Laboratory. KODA alleges that members of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) have unlawfully restricted their colleagues’ access to the facility, a situation it says has disrupted specialist clinical services and undermined postgraduate medical training. The Association is demanding the immediate reinstatement of all Laboratory Physicians and trainees, merit-based leadership appointments within laboratory departments, independent validation of specialised test results by qualified Laboratory Physicians, and a full investigation into alleged threats made against its members.
KODA has also rejected a directive to extend specialist outpatient services to 24 hours, arguing that Korle-Bu already provides round-the-clock outpatient care through its Polyclinic. In its formal notice, the Association stated that the directive appears to be linked to President John Dramani Mahama’s broader 24-hour economy policy, but argued that the policy as envisaged requires the hiring of additional personnel for new shifts rather than extending the working hours of existing staff. “The current implementation framework does not appear to reflect this distinction,” the notice stated.
The Ghana Medical Association has endorsed KODA’s position. Hospital management had not issued a public statement in response as of Sunday, May 3.
Korle-Bu has faced recurring industrial disruptions in 2026. Allied Health Professionals struck earlier in the year over directorate appointments, suspending the action in February after management committed to reforms. Mortuary workers also staged a separate action before suspending it on a two-week government ultimatum. The latest strike, involving doctors directly, raises the stakes significantly given the hospital’s role as the country’s highest-tier clinical referral centre.
