Health Minister Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has expressed grave concern over what he described as a disturbing culture of poor maintenance at several public health facilities, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
During a working visit to Ghana’s largest referral centre, the Minister declared his resolve to ensure immediate and strategic interventions to restore confidence in the nation’s healthcare system.
“Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is our premier referral center. It is dear to the heart of every Ghanaian, and yet, as we have all seen, it is not in the best of shape. So today, I decided to pay a working visit here to have first-hand information as to what is going on”
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Health Minister
The government has placed healthcare reform at the core of its reset agenda. As part of that broader commitment, Hon. Akandoh’s unannounced inspection of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Surgery Departments came on the back of growing concerns about deteriorating conditions at Korle Bu.
Hon. Akandoh stated that the purpose of the visit was not just to confirm public grievances but to initiate collaborative action with hospital management and sector players.
“I’ve received a lot of complaints from the public so I decided to come and see for myself and then have some meetings with the management, so we all think through how we can solve the problems. That’s the most important thing. The solution is the most important thing”
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Health Minister
Motioned Interventions
Despite the alarming state of the hospital, the Health Minister noted that some issues had already been flagged and were in the process of being addressed. He recalled an earlier visit he made to inspect malfunctioning elevators while serving as Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament.
“Because of that, immediately I became the minister, the then acting CEO rushed to me and said, mister minister, I don’t want you to come to Korle Bu without fixing this thing”
Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Health Minister
Hon. Akandoh revealed that he approved the repairs, and according to his update, work on the elevators is underway. He emphasised that some matters discussed may not yet be for public consumption, but he assured Ghanaians that they are being prioritised.
A key reform highlighted by the Minister involves establishing exclusive accounts for proceeds generated from the use of medical equipment. The policy aims to ensure that critical machines are repaired or replaced promptly without waiting for central government disbursements.
“So that when the machine is obsolete or when they need to fix it, they go into the account and take money to fix it,” Hon. Akandoh said, insisting that though the revenue generated by public health facilities may not match that of private centres, core operational units must be continuously supported to function without interruption.
“I always say that the bird that lays the golden egg must not be killed.” In his view, this approach of directing all possible income from using the machines to the upkeep of services that citizens rely on is “non-negotiable” in Ghana’s path toward a resilient healthcare infrastructure.
New Metrics
Looking ahead, Hon. Akandoh announced that the Health Ministry would introduce new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and policy guidelines to tackle systemic lapses.
“But what’s important is that we have first hand information,” he said, indicating that the reforms would be built on real-time data and collaborative consultation.
The minister’s visit reflects a broader move by the new administration to reassert public trust in state institutions and address citizen concerns directly.
The situation at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, once a beacon of Ghanaian medical excellence, has now become a test case for government resolve and policy credibility in the health sector.
