Front view of KATH
GENERAL SECRETARY of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Frank Serebuor has likened the current situation at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi to that of a slaughter house.
He said deaths are being recorded in alarming numbers daily at the medical facility, noting the development was a source of worry to him and medical doctors working there.
Speaking on Kessben Fm in Kumasi he said human beings are dying like flies at KATH and most of the recent deaths were unnecessary and preventable.
The top doctor laid the blame right at the doorstep of current Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Prof. Ohene Adjei who he referred to as “incompetent.”
He noted that conditions at the hospital are deplorable accusing the CEO of “running the hospital down.” KATH was not in such a deplorable state in the past, he said.
He disclosed that essential drugs needed to save the lives of patients were unavailable noting “patients are sent home due to lack of drugs to treat their ailments.”
The GMA General Secretary also said drugs needed to resuscitate patients suffering from cardiac arrests are not available at KATH adding the drug situation at the hospital is not good.
“Most equipment at KATH particularly in the theatres is in shambles, water and electricity supply is unreliable.”
He alleged that some patients receiving treatment at the place recently died when the lights went off for almost two hours, stressing KATH was now killing people instead of saving of lives.
Dr. Serebuor said junior doctors at the hospital did the right thing by embarking on a strike action saying senior doctors at KATH had let the country down by not taking such an honourable decision long ago.
Prof. Ohene Adjei
He praised the junior doctors for not embarking on strike to demand better wages but rather to put pressure on authorities to run the facility properly to save human lives.
He urged the populace not to read political meanings in his statements, adding “I’m telling you the facts without bias.”
He further alleged that Prof. Ohene Adjei denied doctors at KATH access to Health Minister Alban Bagbin when he visited the facility recently to tell him their problems.
He said the ultra modern accident and emergency centre built by former President Kufuor now smelled bad, adding the facility was rapidly losing its status as a modern medical facility of international standard.
Dr. Serebuor urged the authorities concerned to hold the CEO accountable for the rot at KATH.
Baby Dies
A one-year-old baby died on Wednesday morning when striking doctors at KATH turned his family away.
He died on the way while they were taking him to another hospital for urgent treatment.
“We were here yesterday (Tuesday) night, but we were turned away. We were asked to go to another hospital because the doctors were on strike but by the time we got there, he had already died,” a relative told Citi News.
As a result of the worrying situation, patients at KATH are pleading with government to intervene as soon as possible to save the situation.
Junior doctors and surgeons have declared an indefinite strike due to erratic power supply, lack of medicines and the poor state of the major hospital.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
