TAMALE — April 22, 2025 — The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced the immediate dismissal of Dr. Adam Atiku, Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), as public scrutiny mounts over a recent incident involving a patient’s death at the facility.
Speaking on Joy FM’s NewsNight on Tuesday evening, the Minister confirmed that a formal termination letter has been issued to Dr. Atiku, effectively ending his tenure at the hospital.
“As I speak to you now, we have thanked him for the services he rendered at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. We believe it is time for someone else to continue as CEO. He has been sacked with immediate effect,” Mr. Akandoh said.
The dismissal comes on the heels of the Minister’s unannounced visit to TTH earlier on Tuesday, during which he assessed the hospital’s operations and sought clarity on the Sunday incident that allegedly resulted in the avoidable death of a patient.
A Death Under Scrutiny
While the Health Minister declined to state that the dismissal was directly linked to the Sunday incident, he confirmed the establishment of a committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the death. He expressed concern over the hospital’s lack of empathy and accountability, especially following his interaction with staff at the emergency unit.
“I had to draw [a doctor’s] attention that when a life is lost, it’s very, very important, and we must all show concern—especially when people believe that it is avoidable or preventable,” Akandoh stressed.
Troubling Hospital Conditions
The Minister also voiced frustration over poor maintenance culture at the hospital. According to him, equipment previously supplied by government has either broken down or been left in disrepair, with no concrete efforts to fix or replace them.
“There were a lot of things that I was not happy about, especially when equipment bought by my government has been run for some time and is now being left unattended. Yet, they are expecting the government to bring money to come and maintain or replace it,” he stated.
When asked whether Dr. Atiku might challenge his dismissal, Mr. Akandoh said he was unsure but maintained that the appointing authority is under no obligation to justify hiring or firing.
Dr. Atiku’s removal is expected to trigger conversations about leadership and accountability in the health sector, especially in relation to service delivery and resource management in public hospitals.
Please download our HOTDIGITAL ONLINE APP and follow HotDigital Online on our social media platforms to stay updated on our upcoming initiatives.
#HotDigitalHealthAwareness #CommunityHealth #GhanaNursesAssociationUK #HealthMatters #HotDigitalOnline #StrongerTogether
