Following the news that the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital had suspended emergency surgeries in the surgical department due to malfunctioning elevators, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh carried out an unannounced inspection on Monday, September 2.

However, he was prevented by authorities at the Department of Surgery at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) from undertaking the exercise.

He was confronted by Dr. Adu Aryee, the head of the department, who questioned his identity and authority to conduct the visit without prior notice.

“I don’t know you. Who are you? Do you have any letter introducing you? I have never met you in my life,” Dr. Aryee said, expressing surprise at the MP's unannounced visit.

Akandoh attempted to explain his presence, stating, “I am a Member of Parliament. It has come to my attention that the lift at the surgical block is not working, so, I have come to see it for myself.”

Following the altercation, Akandoh addressed the media, expressing his frustration over the encounter.

He explained that his visit was prompted by public reports indicating that Korle-Bu had indefinitely suspended elective surgeries due to faulty elevators.

“It is rather unconscionable for a whole hospital, a teaching hospital such as Korle-Bu, to neglect its duty in maintaining a lift to facilitate the movement of patients to receive the quality healthcare they need,” Akandoh said.

He further criticized the hospital's handling of the situation, noting that some of the lifts had been out of service for four to five years.

Akandoh called on the government and the Minister of Health to address the issue immediately, demanding that surgeries resume within the next 24 hours.

“We cannot accept this reason for suspending surgeries indefinitely,” he stated.



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Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.