Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Health Minister, has directed the Board of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to suspend the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, for two weeks with immediate effect.
In a letter dated June 5, 2026, the Health Minister asserted that the decision follows the KATH CEO temporary suspension of emergency admissions at the facility.
The Health Minister highlighted that the action was taken in contravention of directives issued by President John Dramani Mahama.
He disclosed that the meeting involving the Ministry’s Chief Director, Technical Advisor and Legal Advisor concluded that the CEO’s actions were inconsistent with the President’s directives.
Parts of the letter read, “Pursuant to Section 36 (1) of the Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 526), I am respectfully directing the Board to suspend the Chief Executive Officer for a period of two (2) 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”.
“I am also respectfully requesting you to undertake a thorough investigation to establish on what authority he made those comments on Channel One Newsroom and whether it was a management decision for him to grant the said interview. Where necessary, the appropriate sanctions should be applied,” the Minister directed.
The KATH Board has been given two weeks to complete its investigations and submit a report on its findings and recommendations.
The development follows the KATH CEO, who was earlier summoned following his decision to suspend accident and emergency admissions at the health facility.
In a letter dated June 3, 2026, and signed by the Chief Director of the Health Ministry, Desmond Boateng, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo was summoned to explain reports that the hospital temporarily stopped admitting new patients at its Accident and Emergency Centre.
According to the ministry, their statement follows news circulating on social media suggesting that KATH’s Accident and Emergency Centre was full and unable to admit new cases.
They also cited the hospital’s Head of Public Affairs on Channel One TV, who reportedly reiterated management’s position regarding the centre’s inability to accept additional patients.
The Health Ministry stressed that the situation is in violation of President John Dramani Mahama’s directive that public hospitals must not turn away emergency cases.
The statement issued by the Health Ministry read, “The Ministry of Health has taken note of a statement with the above caption making rounds on social media. Further, the Head of Public Affairs of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital was also heard on Channel 1 T V news, affirming the decision of hospital management on the inability of the emergency centre to admit new cases.
This is contrary to a clear directive of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, to hospitals not to turn away emergency cases.
You are by this letter requested to appear before the Hon. Minister of Health on or before 12noon on Thursday, June 4, 2026, to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for contradicting a clear directive of the H.E. President of the Republic of Ghana.
We count on your cooperation”.
It will be recalled that President John Dramani Mahama has told Ghana healthcare workers they do not need to have a comfortable bed to save a patient.
Mahama warned all health facilities against turning away patients who report to their facility for emergency treatment.
According to John Mahama, every Ghanaian who seeks medical attention must be attended to, explaining that health workers do not need to have a comfortable bed to save a patient.
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Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has directed the Board of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to suspend the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, for two weeks with immediate effect over the announcement of a temporary suspension of… pic.twitter.com/THm5mKAAF2
— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) June 5, 2026
