Call Off Strike Immediately: Labour Commission Orders KATH Doctors

The National Labour Commission (NLC) has directed the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Doctors’ Association to immediately call off its indefinite strike and has summoned all parties to a hearing on June 10, 2026, as the dispute over the two weeks suspension of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital continues to disrupt services at the facility.

The dispute began after the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, directed the KATH Board to suspend the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, for two weeks with immediate effect. 

The decision followed a directive iby the management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) on June 3, 2026, to temporarily suspend the admission of emergency cases following congestion at the facility.

According to the minister, the action was contrary to directives issued by President John Dramani Mahama.

The doctors association has defended the management led by Dr Baidoo’s decision, arguing that the temporary suspension of new emergency admissions and the coordination of referrals to nearby health facilities were necessary measures to prevent avoidable deaths amid severe pressure on the hospital’s Emergency Department.

Following an emergency meeting on June 5, 2026, the association unanimously resolved to withdraw all services from 6 a.m. on June 6, 2026. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Michael Leat, KADA described the suspension of the CEO as unfair and warned that it could affect the administration and operation of the hospital.

The association said the strike would continue until the suspension of Dr Baidoo is reviewed and reversed. It is also demanding clear protocols from the KATH Board on how emergency situations should be managed when the hospital exceeds its capacity, including guidelines on patient overflow and circumstances under which admissions may be restricted.

The doctors are also calling on the Ministry of Health to provide timelines for the operationalisation of the Sewua Hospital and the Afari Military Hospital.

The industrial action has affected healthcare delivery at the facility.

Patients who visited KATH on June 6, 2026, were reportedly unable to access medical services as doctors stayed away from work. Reports indicated that some patients were advised to seek treatment at other health facilities while the strike continued.

The association has stated that the action is also intended to draw attention to what it describes as long standing challenges facing KATH, which serves as a major referral hospital for the middle and northern parts of the country.

In a formal summons signed by the Acting Executive Secretary of the NLC, Dr Bernice A. Welbeck, and addressed to KADA, the Commission said it became aware of the strike through media reports and found that the notice did not comply with the requirements of Ghana’s labour laws.

The Commission, acting under Section 139(d) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), directed KADA to end the strike immediately, stating that the action contravened Sections 162 and 163 of the Act, which set out the procedures for lawful industrial action.

Source: Graphics Online