Anaesthetists at KATH threaten strike over poor infrastructure and inadequate resources

Nii Ayitey Brown 14:15 - 09 June 2026

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The Komfo Anokye Certified Registered Anaesthetist Association (KACRA) has threatened industrial action and joined calls for the reinstatement of suspended KATH CEO Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo amid an escalating dispute at the hospital.

KATH anaesthetists have threatened to join industrial action over the suspension of CEO Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo.
The group says the suspension does not address the hospital's longstanding challenges, including congestion and inadequate resources.
The development adds pressure on authorities as doctors continue to demand the CEO's reinstatement.

Pressure is mounting on authorities to reverse the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, after another key group of health professionals threatened to join ongoing industrial action at the facility.

The Komfo Anokye Certified Registered Anaesthetist Association (KACRA) has warned that it will stand in solidarity with the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA) and other health worker groups if concerns surrounding the CEO's suspension remain unresolved.

In a statement addressed to the Chairman of the KATH Board, KACRA argued that the suspension fails to address the deeper challenges confronting the hospital.

"The challenges facing KATH are deeply rooted in longstanding infrastructural deficits, inadequate logistics, resource limitations, and increasing patient volumes. Addressing these issues requires strategic interventions rather than administrative sanctions," the association said.

According to KACRA, the hospital's difficulties stem from longstanding infrastructural deficits, inadequate logistics, resource limitations, and increasing patient volumes, rather than the actions of a single administrator.

The association further stated that the suspension of the CEO does not directly contribute to improving healthcare delivery, adding that health workers continue to operate under immense pressure due to overcrowding, inadequate equipment and growing demand for specialist care.

Among its demands, the association is calling for the accelerated completion and operationalisation of health facilities intended to reduce pressure on KATH, increased investment in modern medical equipment and infrastructure, and a reconsideration of the decision to suspend the Chief Executive Officer, with emphasis on constructive engagement and collaborative leadership aimed at addressing the hospital's pressing challenges.

The association warned that if concerns raised by healthcare worker groups are not addressed, it will support any lawful action intended to safeguard the interests of healthcare professionals and the quality of patient care.

The suspension followed KATH's controversial decision to temporarily halt new emergency admissions at its Accident and Emergency Centre because of severe congestion and capacity constraints. The Ministry said the decision was contrary to a directive from President John Dramani Mahama, leading to the CEO's two-week suspension.

Medical doctors at KATH, under the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA), subsequently declared an indefinite strike, insisting that the suspension was unjustified and failed to address the underlying crisis facing the hospital. KACRA has now joined calls for authorities to reconsider the decision.

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