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New KATH CEO unveils strategies to restore facility image as centre of excellence

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At the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the heartbeat of Ashanti Region’s healthcare, the machines meant to save lives are either wheezing, silent or missing altogether.

CT scans sit idle. MRI machines have gone mute. The fluoroscopy unit, oxygen plants, and central sterilisation systems—once the backbone of critical care—are now shadows of their former selves.

And in some cases, like the Catheterisation Laboratory and Mammogram unit, there is not even a shadow to speak of. They simply do not exist.

It was against this sobering backdrop that Dr (Med) Paa Kwesi Baidoo, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, addressed staff and stakeholders at KATH’s 2025 Mid-Year Performance Review Conference—his first since assuming office in May.

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The event, held as part of the hospital’s 70th anniversary celebrations, was a call to arms.

“I am deeply honoured by the warm welcome,” Dr Baidoo began, “but I am equally sobered by the scale of the challenge before us.”

With conviction, he laid bare the operational deficits of the facility and unveiled a comprehensive strategy to restore KATH’s stature as a true centre of excellence where innovation is nurtured, stakeholder support is visible and valued, and patient care is not just clinical but compassionate and transformative.

To this end, his administration is actively engaging institutions such as the Ministry of Health (MoH), GNPC, Ghana Gas, NHIA, and the Bank of Ghana.

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These efforts are already bearing fruit. The NHIA, he announced, has begun procurement of a long-awaited CATHLAB, a critical step toward expanding cardiac care in the region.

Internally, reforms are underway. Outdated policies are being reviewed. New guidelines on Pharmacy Residency Training, Opioid Use, and the hospital’s Disciplinary Code are being drafted plus a Comprehensive Patient Care and Duty Rota Policy aimed at improving staff conduct and service delivery.

Despite the infrastructure gaps, KATH has recorded notable gains in the first half of 2025. Specialist OPD attendance rose five per cent above target. The Oral Health Directorate exceeded its goal by 21 per cent. Radiology output increased by 10 per cent, with other radiological services surging by 95 per cent.

Surgeries rose seven per cent above target, inpatient deaths dropped by 13 per cent, and physiotherapy services improved by 10 percent. Emergency attendance also saw a six per cent uptick.

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But the picture is not all rosy as emergency admissions, laboratory services, deliveries, primary care, and radiotherapy all saw declines—underscoring the need for urgent recalibration. But Dr Baidoo remains undeterred.

“The task ahead is arduous, but it is not insurmountable”, he admitted, and pledged to lead with humility, urgency, and resolve—anchored by a vision of excellence and a belief in the power of collective effort.

From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi

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NPP condemns acquittal of former MASLOC CEO Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu

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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly criticised the decision of the Court of Appeal to acquit and discharge former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedinam Christine Tamakloe Attionu.

In a statement issued on July 30, 2026, the party described the ruling as a “travesty of justice” and claimed it was politically motivated.

The Court of Appeal on Thursday overturned her conviction and 10-year prison sentence, which had been imposed by the High Court in April 2024 on charges including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.

According to the NPP, the former MASLOC boss was tried for five years and convicted after the High Court examined evidence relating to alleged financial irregularities during her tenure between 2013 and 2016.

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The party noted that she left Ghana while the trial was ongoing and was later extradited from the United States, arriving in Ghana on June 9, 2026.

The NPP argued that the trial court had found that her actions caused a loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state and that the evidence against her was substantial.

It questioned why the conviction was overturned barely seven weeks after her return to Ghana.

The party further accused the Attorney-General of using state institutions to protect people connected to the governing party.

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It claimed that several cases involving persons affiliated with the government had been discontinued since January 2025 and that the acquittal of Madam Tamakloe Attionu was part of that pattern.

The NPP linked the decision to the ongoing case involving its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

It called for his immediate acquittal and discharge, arguing that his conviction was also politically motivated.

The party demanded that the Attorney-General publish details of all cases involving persons linked to the governing party that have been withdrawn, discontinued or otherwise terminated since January 2025, including the reasons for those decisions.

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It called on the Judicial Council and the leadership of the Judiciary to take steps to restore public confidence in the justice system.

The NPP said it would pursue all lawful avenues, including a possible review at the Supreme Court where applicable, to ensure accountability in cases involving public funds.

The party maintained that the fight against corruption must not be selective and that public resources belong to all Ghanaians.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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Godfred Dame disagrees with Sedina Tamakloe acquittal, urges Attorney-General to appeal

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Former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame has disagreed with the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, insisting that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Mr Dame made the remarks after the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned her conviction and 10-year prison sentence.

He maintained that the evidence presented by the prosecution during the trial was credible and sufficient to support the conviction.

According to him, Ms Tamakloe absconded after she had been confronted with evidence led by the prosecution.

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Mr Dame questioned the basis for the acquittal and suggested that the current Attorney-General should explain what led to the Court of Appeal’s decision.

He wondered whether the appeal had been strongly opposed by the state.

When asked whether he would advise the Attorney-General to challenge the ruling, Mr Dame answered in the affirmative.

“Oh, definitely,” he stated.

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The former Attorney-General spoke about the ongoing criminal case involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

He indicated that an application for stay of proceedings filed at the High Court had been dismissed, and that a fresh application had been filed at the Court of Appeal.

Mr Dame argued that the charge sheet in the case was defective and that the appellate court should determine the issue before the trial proceeds.

He further criticised the decision to hear the case during the legal vacation, describing it as an “unjustified haste” and saying such trials had not been conducted during vacation periods in the past.

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Mr Dame said his legal team would formally protest the directive allowing the case to proceed during the vacation.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling in favour of Ms Tamakloe has become a major legal and political issue, with the Attorney-General’s Department already announcing plans to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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