The indefinite suspension of emergency and outpatient services by doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital has left patients stranded in long queues, waiting for medical attention.
Despite preliminary care provided by nurses at the outpatient department, patients are unable to access full medical services, as consulting rooms remain deserted. Sources indicate that the doctors are currently in a meeting.
The Doctors Association at the facility has suspended services, demanding a public apology from the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Hon. Alhassan Suhuyini, directed to all doctors, staff of the Accident and Emergency Department, and Dr. Valentine Akwulpwa, who was involved in a recent confrontation.
In addition, the association has submitted a list of 21 urgent utility and medical equipment demands aimed at improving health service delivery at the facility. They assured that they would engage hospital management for the provision of the items but warned that failure to meet their demands would compel them to “advise themselves.”
Short-term utility and equipment demands include:
a) Constant flow of water for clinical work
b) Stable electricity supply
c) Continuous oxygen supply
d) Adequate stock of consumables such as gloves, gauze, cotton, face masks, cannulae, sutures, syringes, disinfectants, glucometer strips, and plasters
e) Uninterrupted supply of reagents for essential laboratory tests
f) One hundred continuous vital signs monitoring devices for all high dependency units
g) Four ventilators for the Accident and Emergency Department
h) Four ventilators for the Intensive Care Unit
i) Two ventilators for the Pediatric Emergency Ward
j) Two ventilators for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
k) Two ventilators for the Maternal Intensive Care Unit
l) Two transport ventilators
m) Two transport incubators for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department
n) Servicing and repair of the 1000L autoclave machines at the CSSD
The Medium-term equipment demands include:
a) A non-helium MRI machine
b) A CT scan machine with an infusion pump
c) A mammography machine
d) A fluoroscopy machine
e) A C-arm machine for the main theater
f) ABG (arterial blood gas) machines for all ICUs and the Accident and Emergency Department
g) Two mobile X-ray machines
The doctors further warned that their members will withdraw should they encounter any threat in the line of duty.
story by: Salomey Barnor