Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has made an unannounced visit to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) following allegations of medical negligence surrounding the death of a patient at the facility’s Accident and Emergency Ward.

The visit on Tuesday comes in the wake of widespread reports on social media raising concerns about healthcare delivery at the hospital, the largest referral centre in the Northern Region.

Speaking to journalists during the visit, Mr Akandoh said the trip was aimed at gaining a clearer understanding of the challenges facing health workers in the region.

He expressed alarm at the number of critical medical machines lying idle, despite suppliers having already been paid.

“There are issues of equipment that have been supplied to the hospital that are not working at all,” Mr Akandoh said. “You cannot supply equipment without installing it, and yet you have been paid. We will look into all that.”

The minister also raised concerns about the ongoing water crisis in Tamale, which he said was hampering health service delivery not just at TTH but across the region.

“Tamale has a major water crisis; it is not just a health sector issue,” he said. “It is a priority area for the president, and he will address it.”

Mr Akandoh added that any interventions to improve the hospital’s infrastructure and services would be based on priorities set by hospital management.

He urged the public to remain calm and continue to make use of the facility while the government works to improve conditions.

“I cannot do it all alone—I have to involve them [management], and we are thinking through it together,” he said. “Everybody should remain calm and continue to patronise the facility.”

Source:TheDotNews