No One Can Close Part of a Public Hospital Without My Consent, Health Minister Declares

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has drawn a firm line in the sand: no individual — regardless of seniority — may close any section of a public health facility without the explicit consent of the Minister of Health. The declaration, made in Parliament on Tuesday, came in response to the recent suspension of the CEO of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and carries implications for how Ghana’s public health system is governed.

The controversy began on 3 June 2026, when KATH issued a press statement announcing the closure of its Accident and Emergency Unit to new patients. The move directly contradicted a standing directive from President John Mahama that no public health facility should turn away emergency cases — even if it meant treating patients on the floor to save lives.

A CEO Summoned and Suspended

When summoned by the Health Ministry, KATH CEO Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo admitted to acting contrary to the President’s directive and apologised. But Mr Akandoh said an apology was not sufficient. To send a clear deterrent signal, the Ministry directed the hospital’s board to ask Dr Baidoo to step aside for two weeks while an investigation into the matter proceeds.

The Minister grounded his authority in Section 36 of the Teaching Hospitals Act, which stipulates that directives from the Minister of Health take precedence over decisions of hospital boards. “Punitive measures in such instances are necessary to serve as a deterrent and to ensure strict adherence to national health policies,” he told lawmakers.

A Broader Pattern of Strain

The KATH episode is not an isolated incident. Across Ghana, public hospitals are buckling under the weight of overcrowding, staff shortages and deteriorating infrastructure. The Nkwanta South Municipal Hospital in the Oti Region, for instance, has made an urgent appeal for government support as its physical infrastructure crumbles under the pressure of a growing patient population.

When facilities reach breaking point, the temptation to limit admissions — particularly for resource-intensive emergency cases — becomes acute. The government’s position is that this temptation must be resisted at all costs, even when the operational logic of a hospital’s management team might argue otherwise.

Policy vs. Reality

The Minister’s directive raises uncomfortable questions. A blanket prohibition on turning away emergency patients is, in principle, the right policy. But without matching investment in beds, equipment and personnel, it risks transferring the burden from administrative decisions to frontline staff already stretched to breaking point. Telling hospitals they must treat patients on the floor is a stark acknowledgment that the system is failing — and a signal that the government expects facilities to absorb the consequences rather than manage them.

The two-week suspension of Dr Baidoo will likely focus minds across the public health sector. Whether it leads to a genuine culture of compliance or merely encourages other CEOs to quietly manage overcrowding without issuing press releases remains to be seen.

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