AYA calls for calm and dialogue amid KATH tensions, urges government to ease pressure on hospital
The Asante Youth Association (AYA) has appealed for calm, dialogue, and urgent action to safeguard healthcare delivery at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) amid growing tensions surrounding the facility.
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Tweneboa Kodua, on Monday, June 8, 2026, the association expressed deep concern over recent developments at the hospital, describing the situation as a threat to healthcare services relied upon by thousands of people across the country.
AYA noted that KATH is not only a major healthcare institution for the Ashanti Region but also a key referral centre serving several regions in Ghana, making any disruption to its operations a matter of national concern.
“KATH is not merely a hospital serving the Ashanti Region. It is a major referral facility that serves Asanteman and several other regions across Ghana. Therefore, any disruption to its operations affects thousands of ordinary citizens who depend on the hospital for life-saving healthcare services,” the statement said.
The association cautioned stakeholders against allowing personal interests and power struggles to worsen the situation, emphasizing that ordinary patients ultimately bear the consequences of prolonged disagreements.
“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. In this case, the ordinary Ghanaian patient is the one who bears the consequences of prolonged disagreements and tensions,” AYA stated.
While acknowledging that the management of KATH could have handled certain aspects of the matter more effectively through internal engagements, the association also criticized the approach adopted by the Minister of Health, arguing that it had further complicated an already delicate situation.
“We believe crisis management within the health sector requires cool heads, careful dialogue and solutions driven by reason rather than emotion or demonstrations of authority and power,” the statement added.
AYA further described the current challenges at KATH as evidence of the enormous pressure placed on the facility and called on government and health authorities to accelerate the operationalization of major healthcare projects in the Ashanti Region, including the Afari Military Hospital, Kumawu Hospital, and Sewua Hospital.
According to the association, several of these projects are near completion and could help reduce the burden on KATH if commissioned and made fully operational.
“The argument that these hospitals cannot be commissioned because they are not completely finished is untenable. No hospital is ever completely finished. Even long-established institutions such as KATH and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital continue to undergo development and expansion decades after their establishment,” the group argued.
The association urged the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, and other stakeholders to put the health needs of citizens above partisan considerations.
“Sickness does not recognize political affiliations or political colours, and healthcare delivery must never become a casualty of political disagreements,” AYA stressed.
The group also called on the Ghana Health Service to play a more proactive role in ensuring the completion and operationalization of healthcare infrastructure projects, including facilities under the Agenda 111 programme, to improve healthcare access and reduce congestion at KATH.
AYA concluded by appealing to doctors and other healthcare professionals at KATH to remain committed to patient care despite the ongoing challenges, while continuing to seek redress through appropriate channels.
“Our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children look to them for hope during moments of illness and distress. We therefore encourage all healthcare professionals at KATH to continue engaging through appropriate channels while maintaining their commitment to patient care,” the statement said.
The association reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts aimed at restoring calm at the hospital and ensuring that the health and well-being of Ghanaians remain the foremost priority.
“A healthy population is the foundation of a strong and prosperous nation,” AYA concluded.
Source: Ghana/otecmfghana.com/Samuel Kwaw
