The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has renewed calls for the upgrading of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) after doctors at the Oncology Department ended their strike.
The doctors had stopped working on Monday (24 June) demanding the repair of the Linear Accelerator System (LINAC) machine, which has been out of service since October 2023, making cancer treatment difficult.
The doctors however called off their three-day-old strike after receiving promises that their demands would be met.
Reacting to the development the monarch expressed deep concern over the persistent lack of essential medical equipment at KATH, noting that the cardio unit also faces severe shortages.
“We struggle with basic equipment. Dialysis machines are hard to come by here. They tell me KATH lacks some life-saving equipment. If I have an emergency and I am taken there, they may not be able to treat me. Where do they take me then? By the time I am taken to Accra, something bad would have happened,” the King was quoted by myjoyonline.com as saying.
The hospital’s management echoed this sentiment during the Health Minister’s visit, highlighting the high costs incurred in repairing the LINAC machine.
Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, KATH’s Chief Executive, indicated that plans to procure the necessary equipment were already underway before the strike.
Health Minister Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, during his inspection of the facility, assured that the government would speed up efforts to upgrade the hospital.
“I want to give you the assurance that we will work quickly to help with the upgrades. Hospitals like this, because of the numbers, sometimes even when you get equipment or tools, within a short time you need replacements and others,” he said.
Dr Okoe Boye also visited the Bekwai Municipal Hospital, where he talked with staff to understand their challenges and find ways to improve healthcare delivery.
In response to the recent strike by laboratory scientists, the Health Minister acknowledged that conflicts are sometimes unavoidable in professional settings and emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to resolving such issues quickly.
Reporting by Bright Yeboah, Asaase Newsroom, Kumasi
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