Ghana’s Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has broken his silence on the controversies surrounding his visits to the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Ridge Hospital in Accra. In an in-depth interview, the Minister addressed the incidents that sparked national debate, defended his leadership style, and shed light on Ghana’s ongoing health recruitment challenges.
The Tamale Teaching Hospital Incident
The controversy in Tamale erupted after the minister’s unannounced visit to the hospital following the death of a young man. According to Akandoh, tensions were already high. “I picked information that one young guy had lost his life, and there was agitation building up in the media,” he explained. “I was informed that the youth were massing up to attack the health professionals at Tamale Teaching Hospital.”
To prevent violence, the minister took the first flight to Tamale to assess the situation firsthand. While touring the facility with the CEO, a heated exchange occurred between him and a doctor, which was caught on camera and widely circulated online. However, Akandoh insists his intentions were misunderstood.
“The intention is not to expose anybody per se,” he clarified. “It is for me to know the realities on the ground. Sometimes, if as a minister you sit in the office and send people to bring you reports, you may not know the truth.”
Despite calls from some quarters for him to apologise, Akandoh maintained his stance: “There was no need for an apology anyway. If anything, I thought the leadership there should have been worried about how the doctor spoke to his minister.”
He later added that the misunderstanding has since been resolved and that his ministry provided the hospital with medical equipment worth over two million cedis to improve service delivery.
Addressing the Ridge Hospital Episode
Akandoh also commented on the Ridge Hospital controversy involving a man named Ralph, who allegedly assaulted a nurse. The minister explained that he went to the facility to reassure health workers who had become “apprehensive” after the incident.
“I walked there from the ministry because Ridge is not too far. I wanted to talk to the nurses and reassure them,” he said. After his meeting, Akandoh was criticised for shaking hands with Ralph. “I didn’t even know who he was initially,” he clarified. “It was my officers who later told me that was Ralph.”
The Minister stated that an inquiry was commissioned into the matter and that security at Ridge Hospital has since been strengthened.
The Bigger Picture: Health Sector Recruitment Challenges
Beyond the hospital incidents, the Health Minister addressed the ongoing issue of unemployed health professionals across Ghana. Responding to criticisms from opposition figures like Dr. Ayub Efreye, Akandoh explained that his ministry inherited unresolved recruitment and payroll issues.
“In 2024, government started to recruit nurses and midwives — about 13,500 of them — but no financial provision was made,” he said. “When we took office in 2025, we had to make adjustments. We’ve managed to put about 7,000 of them on the payroll.”
He also revealed a startling backlog of over 74,000 trained health professionals, some dating back to 2019, who are yet to be fully employed. “These are all the things we have inherited,” he stated. “We are cleaning it gradually.”
A Hands-On Approach to Leadership
Despite criticism of his hands-on style, Akandoh remains firm in his approach. “I am not the type who always wants to sit in one place and wait,” he said. “I am a grassroots person, and I’ll continue to visit facilities unannounced. It helps me make better decisions that are popular with the people.”
