The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has confirmed the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr. Adam Atiku, with immediate effect.
In an interview on April 22, the Minister revealed that a formal letter had been issued to communicate Dr. Atiku’s termination.
“As I speak to you now, we have thanked him for the services he rendered at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. We believe it is time for someone else to continue as CEO.
“He has been sacked with immediate effect,” Mr Akandoh stated.
When asked whether Dr. Atiku had accepted the dismissal or intended to challenge it, the Minister responded, “I don’t know yet.”
“Relieving him of his position is not only because of the incident that happened on Sunday, and the appointing authority owes nobody any explanation for hiring or firing an employee.”
He further disclosed that a committee has been established to investigate the circumstances surrounding a recent death at the hospital that has drawn public attention.
This comes after the Minister visited the Tamale Teaching Hospital on Tuesday morning to familiarise himself with the facility and understand an incident that transpired on Sunday.
He noted that during a tour of the emergency unit, the doctor was explaining the incident, but some of his remarks were insensitive, saying that the doctor did not seem to grasp the seriousness of the issue, which he found troubling.
Mr Akandoh emphasised the need for empathy in healthcare, especially when a death occurs under questionable circumstances.
“I had to draw his attention that when life is lost, it’s very, very important, and we must all show concern, especially when people believe that it is avoidable or preventable,” he said.
The Minister also expressed dissatisfaction with the hospital’s overall condition and management of resources.
“There were a lot of things that I was not happy about, especially when equipment bought by my government has been run for some time and is being left unattended. They couldn’t maintain, they couldn’t replace. Yet they are expecting the government to bring money to come and maintain or replace.”
