A minority member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has urged the government to take the grievances of doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) seriously, while also calling on the striking doctors to allow calm to prevail for the sake of public health.
Addressing the media on Thursday, April 24, Dr Agyemang described the doctors’ demands as “not far-fetched,” stressing that they are justified given the difficult conditions under which many healthcare professionals operate.
“As it is often said, when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. In this case, the people—patients are the grass. We are appealing to the doctors, in the supreme interest of the public, to allow cool heads to prevail, ” he appealed.
He added that the doctors’ call for an apology from the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, is not excessive, particularly in light of previous incidents where health workers at TTH have suffered public attacks.
Dr Agyemang believes an apology would not only be a step toward reconciliation but also serve as a deterrent to future misconduct.
“What the doctors are asking for is not far-fetched. These are genuine concerns,” he noted.
He acknowledged that the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health is aware of the concerns raised by the striking doctors, some of which have already been discussed in the national budget, noting that he believes that it is being worked on by the executive.
His comment comes after doctors at TTH declared an indefinite suspension of all emergency and outpatient services, citing a hostile working environment, lack of basic medical supplies, and what they describe as an insult to their dignity by top government officials.
In a statement released after an emergency general assembly meeting held at noon on Tuesday, the Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) announced that its members would no longer offer services at the General OPD, Antenatal Clinic, Specialist Clinic, and Paediatrics OPD after an alceteration during the Minister of Health’s visit to the hospital on April 22, 2025.
They demanded unqualified apologies from the Health Minister and Tamale North MP, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, to Dr Valentine Akwulpwa, the entire medical staff, and specifically the team at the Accident and Emergency Department.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister has appealed to medical doctors and health professionals at the Tamale Teaching Hospital to call off their ongoing strike and return to the negotiation table for the sake of patients and the broader healthcare system.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
