The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Health Committee and Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh was blocked by authorities at the Department of Surgery at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) from conducting an unannounced inspection on Monday, September 2.
This incident follows the hospital’s announcement of the suspension of all elective surgeries due to malfunctioning elevators.
Mr. Akandoh, accompanied by journalists, visited the facility to verify reports regarding faulty elevators. However, upon arrival, a staff member prevented the MP from conducting interviews within the department, leading to a confrontation.
Mr. Akandoh explained that he felt it necessary to visit the hospital personally to understand the situation.
“This morning, I decided to pay a surprise visit to see whether or not the lifts are working. Unfortunately, they are not. We are here at the Department of Surgery, and the lift is not functional. We’ve learned that some of the lifts have been down for four to five years,” he stated.
He questioned why the hospital management allowed the situation to deteriorate over the years without carrying out regular maintenance. The Ranking Member expressed concern that due to the hospital’s negligence, ordinary Ghanaians seeking elective surgeries are now suffering the consequences.
He called on the Minister of Health and other relevant stakeholders to address the issue urgently, stressing that the indefinite suspension of surgeries is unacceptable. Mr. Akandoh urged the government and the Minister of Health to resolve the situation within 24 hours, emphasizing that such negligence cannot be tolerated.