KATH CEO Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo Suspended Following Unauthorized Halt to Emergency Admissions Amid Crisis

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has ordered the immediate two-week suspension of Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, the Chief Executive Officer of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), effective June 5, 2026. This disciplinary action follows a controversial announcement made by the hospital administration on June 3 to temporarily halt emergency admissions due to severe overcrowding. The Ministry noted that this decision directly contravened explicit directives from President John Dramani Mahama and caused significant public distress regarding access to critical healthcare services at the nation's second-largest teaching hospital.

In addition to the suspension, Minister Akandoh has directed the KATH Board to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the announcement and the subsequent media commentary provided by the hospital's Public Affairs Unit. The Board is required to submit a comprehensive report within two weeks. The government’s swift intervention aims to address inconsistencies between hospital management decisions and national health policy, particularly concerning the hospital's mandate as a primary referral center for the Ashanti Region and beyond.

The leadership crisis at KATH has brought the facility's long-standing congestion issues back into the spotlight. Residents in Kumasi and surrounding areas are increasingly vocal about the hospital's overwhelmed infrastructure, particularly at the Accident and Emergency Centre. There is a growing public demand for the urgent completion of the stalled 500-bed Maternity and Children’s Block, which has been delayed due to funding challenges. Many observers suggest that the CEO's attempt to halt admissions was a desperate, albeit unauthorized, response to a facility operating dangerously over its intended capacity.

To provide a sustainable solution to the overcrowding, the Komfo Anokye Doctors’ Association (KADA) has called on the government to immediately operationalize the Sewua Government Hospital and the Afari Military Hospital. Dr. Michael Leat, Chairman of KADA, emphasized that these two facilities alone provide a combined capacity of 600 beds and are largely completed. Activating these hospitals would significantly alleviate the pressure on KATH, improve patient outcomes, and create a safer working environment for medical staff. The association warns that further delays in utilizing these existing resources will only exacerbate the current healthcare crisis and compromise patient care quality.