Doctors at Ghana’s premier referral hospital have withdrawn all outpatient services, leaving patients stranded and significantly disrupting healthcare delivery at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra.
The industrial action, led by the Korle-Bu Doctors Association (KODA), took effect on Monday, May 4, after a formal ultimatum issued to hospital management on April 30 expired without a satisfactory resolution. In its statement, KODA warned that an escalation to include in-patient services could follow.
KODA attributes the action to what it describes as the unlawful restriction of access to the hospital’s Central Laboratory by members of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS), leading to disputes over who is authorised to practise within the facility. The association says the situation is directly compromising patient safety and effective clinical decision-making.
Among the specific demands, KODA is calling for the immediate reinstatement of all Laboratory Physicians and trainee doctors, insisting that department leadership be assigned based strictly on professional merit rather than union pressure. The association also wants all specialised laboratory results validated by qualified Laboratory Physicians before release.
KODA Secretary Dr Joojo Nyamekye-Baidoo said the strike was a last resort after months of engagements and written correspondence failed to produce solutions. “Strike is the only option. I think we’ve engaged management enough, and I don’t think they have come back to us in good faith,” he said.
The strike also touches on a second dispute. KODA has strongly opposed a proposed rollout of 24-hour specialist outpatient services, arguing that the hospital already provides round-the-clock outpatient care through the Korle-Bu Polyclinic. The association contends that extending hours without additional staff or funding would compound existing pressures rather than resolve them.
The action adds to a turbulent year of labour disputes at the hospital. Allied Health Professionals struck earlier in 2026 over directorate appointments, suspending the action in February after management committed to reforms. Mortuary workers also staged a separate industrial action before suspending it on a two-week government ultimatum.
As of Monday, neither hospital management nor the Ministry of Health had issued a public response to the latest action. Only emergency and critical cases are currently being attended to at the facility.
