There is a massive staff shake up at the struggling Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
Currently, those who have been affected by the transfers include three (3) surgeons, namely Dr. Azantilow, Dr. Teye and Dr. Danquah.
The rest are head of Pharmacy department Dr. Mrs Sarah Ato Van Ess and other subordinates at the department and head of Audit department Omari Debrah.
Outspoken Administrator K.K. Boachie was also not spared in the transfer and has been posted to the Sunyani government hospital.
The affected surgeons are said to have petitioned the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Nsiah Asare describing their transfer as a demotion. They were however not at post when Empire News’ Emmanuel Ohene-Gyan visited the facility.
At the time of the visit, officials of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital were preparing to meet a delegation from the pharmacy department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology over the transfer of the head of pharmacy, Dr Mrs Sarah Van Ess to the Kwesimintsim hospital.
The delegation was there to discuss how pharmacy students from KNUST could receive practical training since Mrs Van Ess was the only qualified personnel to train their students brought to the facility, a situation the school was uncomfortable with.
When contacted, Western Regional Director, Dr. Jacob Mahama explained that he was only acting on a report of a committee he set up in 2018 to investigate how the facility could purge itself from the numerous cases of corruption, malfeasance and poor service delivery that has engulfed the hospital
When asked by Ohene-Gyan if the three surgeons were involved in any corrupt practices, he could not confirm or deny the story except to say “you are the same people who have talking about how things are not going well over there, so we are trying to make sure things work well. People have stayed there for long so we are moving things around to ensure the public is served proper health service”.
He further revealed that the transfers of the three surgeons is not a demotion as stated by the surgeons noting “It is not a demotion, once a surgeon always a surgeon, once a consultant always a consulted…there are consultants working under the CEO of Komfo Anokyere teaching hospital and like governance, the President is not a Professor but has Professors working under the President. We can never demote them, their skills are their resource and wherever they are they can operate as they are not in management but technical and clinical services”
Head of Finance, Alhaji Alhassan Abubakari Sadique, told Emmanuel Ohene-Gyan he has prepared his handing over notes already after he picked information that he will be affected by the transfer but was quick to add that “ As for me if am sent to a district hospital I will not accept the transfer, I need to be sent to my present rank as in the region”.
He explained that albeit it is normal administrative practice for transfers to be undertaken, enough time has not been allotted for the requisite handing over to be done, “ ideally one has to be at post for four years before being transferred but in the same vein, you can also be transferred in less than four years… Am three years at post but am prepared for my transfer as my handing over notes are ready, I just updated it”.
Source:Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/Emmanuel Ohene Gyan