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

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.

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.

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 Outdated policies are being reviewed.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.

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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