Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo
THE CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, has been suspended for breaching President Mahama’s directive for public hospitals not to suspend the admission of emergency cases.
The KATH CEO, reportedly, admitted his guilt during a meeting with the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and some officials in the Ministry of Health on June 4, 2026, and he was subsequently suspended for two weeks after which he would report to the minister.
“I’m respectfully directing the Board to suspend the Chief Executive Officer for a period of two weeks with immediate effect, for causing to be announced the suspension of admissions of emergency cases to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
“The Chief Executive admitted before me on Wednesday June 4, 2026 that he acted contrary to the clear directives of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana by that said announcement.
“The meeting was attended by the Chief Director, the Technical Advisor and the Legal Advisor to the Minister. He will be required to report to me upon the expiry of the two weeks,” a letter dated June 5, 2026 directed to the KATH Board Chairman said.
In the letter, the Minister stated that the suspension was in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 526).
The letter also directed the KATH Board to investigate who gave the KATH Head of Public Affairs Unit the permission to announce on radio that the hospital had suspended the admission of new emergency cases and take the appropriate action.
The Minister noted that the comments made by the Public Affairs Officer were also contrary to the directives of the President.
He has, therefore, tasked the Board to establish under whose authority the interview was granted and whether it was sanctioned by management.
The Board has further been directed to apply appropriate sanctions where necessary and submit a report on its findings to the Ministry within two weeks.
The suspension comes in the wake of public outrage and concerns over reports that KATH had suspended admissions of emergency cases, sparking debate over healthcare service delivery at one of the country’s leading referral hospitals.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah & David Afum Kumasi
