A former Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia, has described as unfortunate the chaos being witnessed at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) following the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer there.
The Ministry of Health appointed Dr. Daniel Akobila to take over from the incumbent Dr. Prosper Akambong.
But the new appointee to head the TTH was rejected by a group calling itself Coalition of Youth Groups in Tamale.
As a result, on Monday June 12, 2017, they organized a press conference to register their displeasure regarding the appointment of Dr. Akobila as the new CEO of the TTH – but even before it got underway it was raided by a vigilante group affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Kandahar Boys, where one person had been reported injured.
There is currently a standoff at the hospital after Dr. Akambong refused to abdicate the facility, arguing he was yet to receive any letter from any higher authority directing that he hands over.
The Ministry of Health admitted it was to blame for the chaos being witnessed at the Hospital.
Speaking Wednesday June 14, 2017 on Morning Starr its Public Relations Officer, Robert Cudjoe said the unending chaos is due to a failure “on our part and we have to take that blame for that” as the Ministry did not communicate to the outgoing CEO the new development in time.
But commenting on the impasse, Mr. Segbefia said the development is “unfortunate in our democratic dispensation.”
He said the Ministry should have followed the set processes and procedures in instances like this.
He said “As I said on different radio stations, it is not the first time this is happening. Even under the NDC, I remember that we removed the CEO of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital who is now the Director General of the Ghana Health Service. He sued and won his case in court.”
“So, the president should [know] that this type of action can lead to what one will say damages which is akin to say judgement debt if wrongful dismissal or wrongful removal is what occurs. And so, they should not be done lightly,” he added.
