Nurses at Ghana's Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) have joined an ongoing strike. This action escalates demands for the reinstatement of the hospital’s suspended Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo. The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) issued a statement on Saturday, June 6, 2026, condemning the two-week suspension. They called the directive from the Minister of Health “unnecessary” and a distraction from the real problems.
The GRNMA highlighted deep-rooted issues at KATH. These include significant infrastructural deficits, constant congestion, a lack of necessary equipment, and persistent shortages of resources. “The two-week suspension of the Chief Executive Officer is unnecessary and is definitely not the solution to the enormous pressure, infrastructural challenges, congestion, inadequate logistics, and resource constraints confronting the hospital on a daily basis,” the association stated. These persistent challenges directly impact patient care delivery.
This situation deepens the existing industrial crisis at one of Ghana’s premier teaching hospitals. Earlier, the National Labour Commission had ordered doctors to end a separate strike. The entry of nurses and midwives into the industrial action signals a broader discontent within the healthcare sector. The hospital faces significant operational pressures, as evidenced by the repeated calls for improved infrastructure and resources. Previous related actions include doctors striking over the same CEO suspension, and advocacy for the operationalization of new facilities like the Sewua and Afari Hospitals to ease pressure on KATH.
The GRNMA warned that their members would join the strike effective at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2026, if the suspension directive was not reversed. “We wish to state categorically that effective 8:00 am 7th June 2026, Nurses and Midwives at KATH will join the strike if the directive from the Honourable Minister for Health is not reversed,” the association declared. They stressed that patient safety and quality healthcare cannot be achieved while systemic issues remain unaddressed.
The nurses and midwives are calling for urgent government action. They want the Ministry of Health to speed up the opening of long-awaited health facilities. These new hospitals are intended to reduce overcrowding at KATH. They also demand that the government prioritize upgrading equipment, expanding infrastructure, and increasing resource allocation. The GRNMA emphasized that Dr. Baidoo should be allowed to continue managing the hospital. They believe he can help ease operational pressures and support overworked health workers, particularly in the emergency department.
The GRNMA appealed to the KATH Board to intervene. They aim to prevent further disruption to healthcare services. The ongoing industrial action at KATH risks severely impacting thousands of patients who rely on the hospital for critical medical care. The suspension of the CEO as a remedy for systemic issues is therefore being questioned by healthcare professionals.