Many people stranded at TTH as nurses, doctors withdraw services

Residents around Tamale and its environs seeking health care are stranded as health workers there have carried through their threat of withdrawing their service in protest of the attack on their CEO.

Those who went to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) on Wednesday morning seeking medical care had to sit and wait for hours without anyone attending to them.

One of the residents told Joy News’ Martina Bugri that he was at the hospital as early as 7 am to seek health care for his ailing mother but several hours later no one had attended to her.

“We were told the nurses and doctors have withdrawn their services. We are still waiting to see if they will change their mind and attend to us. That is what has kept us waiting up until now for more than three hours,” he told Joy News’ Martina Bugri.

Several other patients who have travelled from far and near were left stranded at the Outpatient Department (OPD).

“My brother’s wife is not well and we have been referred from the Salaga Government Hospital to TTH for the past weeks. Although she is recovering now, yesterday evening we were told she can no longer be treated so they will give us a referral to another hospital.

“She is in pain and we cannot leave but they said if we stay they cannot take care of us,” he added.

The nurses and doctors are striking in protest of an attack on the CEO of the hospital by thugs suspected to be loyalists of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

They accuse David Zaawumya Kolbila of mismanaging hospital funds and indulging in some corrupt activities.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu has condemned an attack on the CEO and staff of Tamale Teaching Hospital.

According to him, under no circumstances should such a thing happen since there are so many channels for addressing grievances if anyone has any.

Mr Manu says he is in touch with the Northern Regional Minister and Interior Minister to find the people who attacked the hospital.

Speaking during the commissioning of a polyclinic at Bimpong Egya at the Twifo Attimokwa district of the Central Region, the health minister said this act must never repeat itself anywhere around the country.