Tamale Teaching Hospital Doctors suspend emergency, outpatient services

Doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) have suspended emergency and outpatient services. They cite “unwarranted attacks” from Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini.

This decision was made during an emergency meeting on April 23. It followed a statement condemning an incident during the minister’s visit on April 22. The Doctors’ Association of Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) announced the suspension.

All emergency and outpatient services are now indefinitely suspended. This includes General OPD, Antenatal clinic, Specialist clinic, and Paediatrics OPD. However, inpatient care will continue until patients are safely discharged.

The doctors demand unconditional apologies from both the Health Minister and the MP. They want these apologies directed to Dr. Valentine Akwulpwa and all medical personnel at TTH. DATTH stated they will resume services after receiving appropriate apologies.

In addition to apologies, the association presented urgent logistical needs to hospital management. These include reliable water access, stable electricity, continuous oxygen supply, and basic clinical supplies like gloves and masks. They also request consistent availability of lab reagents and critical equipment repairs.

For long-term improvements, doctors seek diagnostic tools such as a helium-free MRI machine and a CT scan with an infusion pump. They also want mammography units, arterial blood gas analyzers, and mobile X-ray systems.

The association emphasized that members will not work in hostile environments due to safety concerns. They criticized certain media outlets for false reporting on recent events. DATTH will not engage with these outlets until public apologies are issued.

While DATTH is open to dialogue with hospital leadership, they may reconsider if their concerns are not addressed quickly.