Emergency services at Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) resumed late Thursday following a direct appeal by the traditional ruler of the Dagbon Kingdom, Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II, signaling a temporary easing of a tense labor standoff between hospital doctors and management.
The return to duty came after a delegation dispatched by the Yaa Naa—led by Zangbalun Lana Dr. Jacob Mahama—met with the leadership of the Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH). The group delivered what sources described as an “impassioned plea” from the monarch, urging the doctors to prioritize patients’ lives amid ongoing disputes over working conditions and unresolved grievances.
“We implore you to consider the lives that hang in the balance,” said Dr. Mahama, speaking on behalf of the king. “The cessation of emergency services has far-reaching consequences, and we fear for the well-being of those who cannot afford to wait.”
Hospital officials confirmed the rapid turnaround. “The intervention of the King successfully got the doctors to resume emergency services,” read a statement posted on the hospital’s official Facebook page, less than two hours after the meeting.
While the resumption of emergency care has brought temporary relief to the region’s primary referral facility, outpatient and specialist services remain suspended as negotiations continue.
The Yaa Naa has pledged personal involvement in resolving the dispute, which has highlighted systemic strains in Ghana’s public healthcare infrastructure and the delicate balance between traditional authority and modern labor negotiations.
Source:TheDotNews