The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has paid a working visit to the Tamale Teaching Hospital in response to allegations of malpractice that resulted in the death of a patient who had been referred to the facility.
The purpose of this visit was to obtain first-hand information regarding the circumstances surrounding the patient's death, which had been reported on social media over the weekend, alleging misconduct by some healthcare personnel.
According to the allegations, the deceased patient had been referred to the hospital, but lapses in care, reportedly involving staff misconduct, contributed to the tragic outcome.
The reports sparked outrage, prompting the Health Minister to swiftly intervene.
During the visit, Mr Akandoh met with hospital management and toured key areas of the facility to better understand the internal processes and challenges.
The situation grew more tense when the Minister made an unscheduled stop to inspect the hospital’s public restrooms, where the poor sanitary conditions reportedly shocked the Minister and his delegation.
An exchange with a hospital official visibly displeased the minister, who expressed dissatisfaction with how the official was addressing him.
“Even me a minister, look at the way you are behaving in front of me, so, you can imagine how you treat others,” Akandoh said.
He further went on to condemn the official’s behavior, raising concerns about the facility’s approach to communication, particularly in how it engages with ordinary citizens who seek medical care.
“How can you behave like this. It means you are doing worse things here. I’m even worried about [sic]. There is a problem here so if a commoner comes around how can they talk to this man here. How would he be able to communicate with them. There is a problem,” Akandoh fumed.