Doctors at Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) have indefinitely withdrawn all emergency and outpatient services, citing poor working conditions and what they describe as disrespectful treatment by senior government officials.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday following an emergency general assembly meeting, the Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) announced that its members would no longer be attending to patients at the General Outpatient Department, Antenatal Clinic, Specialist Clinic, and the Paediatrics OPD.
However, inpatient care for those currently admitted will continue until patients are safely discharged.
The doctors’ protest stems from a recent visit by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh to the facility on 22 April. According to the association, the visit was marred by what it called “false and biased reportage” by sections of the media and what they perceived as an insult to the dignity of the medical staff.
The association is demanding public apologies from both the Health Minister and Tamale North MP, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini. They are also calling for an apology to Dr Valentine Akwulpwa and the Accident and Emergency Department team, who were directly involved in the incident.
“We shall resume provision of emergency and outpatient services after we receive appropriate apologies,” the statement said.
Resource Shortages and Systemic Issues
Beyond the demand for apologies, the doctors have highlighted a dire lack of essential medical resources and infrastructure that they say is undermining healthcare delivery at the facility.
Their list of urgent needs includes:
- Continuous water and power supply
- Regular delivery of oxygen and medical consumables including gloves, cannulae, syringes, disinfectants, and glucometer strips
- Laboratory reagents to maintain diagnostic services
- Vital signs monitors, ventilators, and incubators across key departments
- Transport ventilators and functioning sterilisation equipment
In the medium term, the doctors are asking for high-end diagnostic tools, including a helium-free MRI machine, a CT scanner with an infusion pump, mammography and fluoroscopy machines, C-arm imaging for surgery, blood gas analysers in all intensive care units, and mobile X-ray units.
Tense Relations with Media
The doctors are also demanding that media houses which published the alleged misleading reports issue public retractions and apologies. Until this is done, DATTH says it will not grant interviews or engage with those outlets.
Additionally, the association issued a stern warning about safety, stating that any medical staff member who feels threatened will immediately withdraw from the hospital environment.
The indefinite suspension of services is expected to place significant strain on healthcare delivery in the northern region of Ghana, with no immediate end in sight until the doctors’ conditions are met.
Source:TheDotNews