The Executive Director of the Centre for Public Opinion and Awareness (CenPOA), a non-partisan, non-governmental civil organisation founded to promote civil engagement and participation in public administration, has slammed Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh for his handling of the Tamale Teaching Hospital issues.
Michael Donyina Mensah said the minister erred in the way he handled the matter but was also quick to add that the doctors also had no business declaring a strike action over the matter.
Speaking in an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he said what is happening at TTH is rather unfortunate and the minister erred just as the doctors declaring strike action is not the best. The two sides should exercise restraint and find amicable means in dealing with the issues.
Mr. Donyina Mensah argued that the Minister’s presence at the facility following the death of a patient as a result of alleged negligence should be thoroughly investigated before reaching any conclusions.
He stated that medical negligence should not be thrown around lightly because it requires extensive investigation before it can be proven.
‘’There is a process in establishing medical negligence. The minister is not a health professional who can make that determination. He could not conclude that the situation was about negligence, and so he had no business making the declaration in public. Besides, what is happening at the hospital is not about negligence. It was purely about the facility being under-resourced and lacking basic logistics, including ventilators. As a minister, when you visit a facility to monitor their activities, you should put down notes and observations, meet with the management, and find possible ways to address the challenges. The way he handled the situation was not the best. The minister is aware of the challenges confronting the health sector, so why was he pretending that he was not aware that people were dying needlessly in our hospitals due to lack of logistics?’’
He advised him not to play politics with our health sector, adding, ”You are the sector minister, and when you set targets for people, give them the logistics, and they fail to achieve them, there are disciplinary measures available in resolving these issues. Follow through with the process and stop politicising issues. He donated to TTH. How can the health minister be donating to a hospital? The facility is under the ministry, and they needed logistics, so you cannot claim to have donated to them as if the hospital is a different entity”.
The bottom line is that sectors like education and health should not be politicised. When we do that, citizens will be the ones to suffer for it. Our advice to the minister is that he should identify the problems and solve them and not go around with cameras to prove a point. We already know the challenges and the solutions to them are the most important thing at the moment. He should be guided and know that without the collaboration of the health workers, he will not succeed. Several of our health workers are improvising due to the lack of logistics, especially in rural areas. So if people are working under these conditions and you don’t encourage them but chastise them or shift the blame game, they will face serious problems. He should stop the public show and focus on the real problems .’’
He urged the minister to be cautious in his approach if he wants to succeed at the Health Ministry.
He advised him not to play politics with our health sector, adding that you are the sector minister, and when you set targets for people, give them the logistics, and they fail to achieve them, there are disciplinary measures available to use in resolving these issues. Follow through the process and don’t allow politics with issues. He is said to have donated to TTH. How can the health minister be donating to a hospital? The facility is under the ministry, and they needed logistics, so you cannot claim to have donated to them as if the hospital were a different entity.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
