Doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) have suspended all emergency and outpatient services, including General OPD, Antenatal clinic, Specialist clinic, and Paediatrics OPD, with immediate effect.
However, inpatient care is exempt from the indefinite suspension and will continue for patients currently on admission until they are safely discharged.
The Doctors Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) announced the decision in a statement following an emergency meeting over an altercation involving one of its members, the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhuyini.
The doctors say they will only resume services after receiving an unqualified apology from both the Minister and the MP.
“All members of DATTH have proceeded on an indefinite suspension of all emergency and outpatient services (General OPD, Antenatal clinic, Specialist clinic, Paediatrics OPD),” the statement partly read.
They added, “Unqualified apologies from the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and the Member of Parliament for Tamale North Constituency, Hon. Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, should be rendered to Dr. Valentine Akwulpwa, all doctors of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, and staff of the Accident and Emergency Department.”
The doctors also urged hospital management to provide critical logistics, including constant water and electricity supply, an MRI machine that does not require helium, and a CT scan machine with an infusion pump.
The suspension follows a heated exchange between the Health Minister and the Head of the Accident and Emergency Department during a visit to the hospital on April 22.
The visit, also attended by MP Suhuyini, was in response to the death of a patient referred to the facility.
According to hospital officials, the patient died due to the unavailability of a specialised procedure and a lack of beds at the Emergency Unit.
