KATH Resumes Emergency Admissions Amid Ministry Summons and Persistent Bed Shortages

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has resumed admissions at its Accident and Emergency (A&E) Centre following a temporary 24-hour suspension that triggered a high-level intervention from the Ministry of Health. The hospital management had previously halted new admissions due to severe overcrowding, reporting that the facility—which is designed to accommodate 37 patients—was handling 61 cases with dozens more awaiting treatment. While admissions have officially restarted, hospital authorities warn that capacity constraints remain critical, with very few beds available to meet the region's high demand for emergency care.

The decision to suspend admissions led the Ministry of Health to summon the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, to explain the management’s actions. According to the Ministry, the suspension contradicted a standing directive from President John Dramani Mahama, which mandates that all public hospitals must accept emergency cases regardless of capacity. The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, requested the CEO to appear for a formal inquiry on June 4, 2026, to discuss potential disciplinary action for violating government policy on emergency services. KATH management has since implemented measures to manage the backlog, including the discharge and transfer of stabilized patients to peripheral health facilities.

Acting Medical Director Dr. Yaw Opare Larbi stated that the hospital has established a communication platform with other health facilities in the Ashanti Region to better coordinate patient referrals and ease the pressure on KATH’s resources. Despite these efforts, the structural issues contributing to the congestion persist. Reports indicate that only five beds were recently available in the emergency D-Block, highlighting a significant gap between the hospital’s capacity and the region's healthcare needs. Hospital authorities have called for urgent investments in infrastructure to prevent future service disruptions at Ghana’s second-largest teaching hospital.

To address the root cause of this recurring crisis, KATH’s Head of Public Affairs, Kwame Frimpong, and other stakeholders have urged the government to expedite the completion and operationalization of the Afari Military Hospital and the Sewua Hospital. These facilities, which are largely completed but remain unused, could add approximately 750 beds to the Ashanti Region’s healthcare system. Currently, the abandoned 500-bed Afari Military Hospital is reportedly deteriorating, with expensive medical equipment left unused while KATH struggles with patient overflow. In the interim, private donations, such as a recent gift of oxygen concentrators and pulse oximeters from former Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to the pediatric ward, have provided some relief to the hospital’s overstretched resources.