The Citizens Defense Council (CDC), a civil society organization focused on strengthening public healthcare in Northern Ghana, has called for an urgent and comprehensive reform of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), citing decades-long deterioration in service delivery and numerous preventable deaths.
In a detailed statement released following sustained engagement with stakeholders and healthcare users, the CDC described the state of the TTH as “deeply troubling.” It warned that the current situation is no longer tenable for a facility serving as the main referral hospital for Northern Ghana.
The CDC has, in recent years, taken several initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges at TTH. Notably, it organized a Citizens’ Forum on the State of Public Healthcare in Tamale on September 21, 2023. The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including the Ghana Health Service, civil society organizations such as Norsaac and SEND Ghana, youth groups, traditional leaders, clergy, and the media. While regional hospital heads were present, the absence of the TTH CEO, who was represented by a non-medical administrative staff, drew strong criticism.
Systemic Decay and Root Causes
According to the CDC, the decay in healthcare delivery at TTH has evolved over two decades, marked by systemic failures. Through stakeholder consultations, they identified several root causes, including:
- Politicization and tribalization of leadership appointments.
- God-fatherism and clientelism, leading to a lack of accountability.
- Leadership negligence, poor oversight, and weak enforcement of hospital policies.
- Financial misconduct by medical personnel, including unauthorized transactions with patients.
- Undue influence from some traditional and religious leaders in disciplinary matters.
- Sabotage and conflict of interest by staff who divert patients to private facilities.
- Lack of effective oversight by both the hospital board and the Ministry of Health.
CDC warned that many of these issues are perpetuated by a culture of silence, where patients tolerate poor treatment and fail to seek redress.
A Call for Comprehensive Reform
Rather than blame doctors and nurses alone, the CDC stressed that responsibility for the hospital’s decline is collective. It called on the government and the Ministry of Health to set up an independent committee of distinguished professionals to conduct a full-scale investigation and reform agenda.
Key demands include:
- Audit of finances, staff, equipment, and operations over the last decade.
- Public hearings for affected patients and families.
- Restructuring of management and staff deployment, including transfers for those entrenched in power.
- Banning of financial transactions between medical staff and patients.
- Creation of a Citizens’ Oversight Committee with the power to investigate complaints and recommend sanctions.
- Transparent hiring processes for future CEOs through credible consulting firms.
- Stronger regulatory oversight from the Ministry of Health, including regular public engagement forums.
The CDC also proposed infrastructural improvements, including mechanized boreholes to ensure uninterrupted water supply and the full equipping of the hospital as a true tertiary referral facility.
A Call for Unity and Action
In concluding their statement, the CDC called on all stakeholders—chiefs, clergy, youth groups, civil society, and the general public—to come together to demand and support reform.
“Even the rich who can afford medical care abroad sometimes depend on TTH,” the statement noted. “We must all add our voices to the call for change. The time for accountability is now.”
The CDC emphasized that a holistic and unified approach is essential to restore TTH to its status as a center of excellence in healthcare delivery in Northern Ghana.
Source: Ibrahim Angaangmeni Alhassan/Zaaghana,com
