The Chief Executive Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, has disclosed that over 200 nurses and other health professionals left the hospital in 2023.

The CEO lamented that the departure of the health workers is negatively affecting the smooth operations of the facility.

During an interaction with Finance Minister, Mohammed Amin Adam, and his team during a tour of the facility, Professor Addai-Mensah appealed to the government to allow authorities to replace the departed staff to enhance service delivery.

“In the past year, we have had over 200 nurses leave Komfo Anokye. Every day, I have had to approve three to five applications for either leave of absence or resignation, mostly nurses, radiographers, and medical laboratory scientists, and so we are praying that we should be allowed to replace these people who are leaving so that we can continue with the care that we are supposed to be giving to our patients.”

The hospital also grapples with an acute equipment deficit, for which Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah urged the government to commit to retooling the various departments.

“One of the major things we are facing is the retooling of the hospital. We are aware of the difficulties that the government has had concerning COVID-19 and others. Still, we believe that it is also possible for some help to be extended [to us] as far as retooling is concerned, especially given the fact that we are serving twelve regions.”