The medical staff at Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) have indefinitely halted emergency and outpatient services, attributing this action to what they describe as “unjustified assaults” from Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini.
This resolution was reached during an urgent general assembly of the Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) on Wednesday, April 23, shortly after the group issued a statement denouncing an incident that occurred during the minister’s visit to the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit on Tuesday, April 22.
The Association declared, “All members of DATTH have initiated an indefinite suspension of all emergency and outpatient services (General OPD, Antenatal clinic, Specialist clinic, Paediatrics OPD).” However, this suspension will not impact inpatient care, which will proceed until patients are safely discharged.
The doctors are insisting on unconditional apologies from both the Health Minister and the Tamale North MP directed to Dr. Valentine Akwulpwa, all medical staff at TTH, and especially those in the Accident and Emergency department. DATTH stated, “We will resume the provision of emergency and outpatient services once we receive suitable apologies.”
Furthermore, the association has submitted a list of urgent logistical and infrastructural requirements to the hospital management, which includes dependable access to water, stable electricity, a continuous supply of oxygen, and the immediate provision of essential clinical supplies such as gloves, gauze, cotton, face masks, syringes, cannulae, disinfectants, and plaster.
They are also advocating for the consistent availability of laboratory reagents, vital signs monitors, ventilators for various departments, transport incubators, and repairs to critical hospital equipment like autoclave machines.
To achieve long-term enhancements, the physicians are advocating for the acquisition of diagnostic and critical care equipment, which includes a helium-free MRI machine, a CT scanner equipped with an infusion pump, mammography and fluoroscopy devices, a C-arm apparatus, arterial blood gas (ABG) analyzers, and portable X-ray systems.
The association underscored that its members will refrain from operating in hostile conditions due to safety issues. Furthermore, they expressed discontent with certain media organizations for what they termed as inaccurate and biased coverage of recent incidents, asserting that they will not interact with such organizations until public apologies are made.
DATTH indicated that while it is willing to maintain an open line of communication with hospital management, it will take matters into its own hands if their concerns are not addressed promptly.
