24-HOUR SECURITY FOR TAMALE HOSPITAL (PAGE 38)

Following an alleged assault on a medical officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), Dr Prosper Akanbon, the management of the hospital and the Northern Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) have formulated strategies to provide 24-hour security for all categories of health staff at the hospital.
Dr Akanbon was said to have been physically assaulted by a group of young men last Saturday for allegedly delaying in attending to the ailing father of one of the young men that resulted in the patient’s death.
The names of the men have been withheld for security reasons but they are currently assisting the police in their investigations.
Dr Akanbon, a physician specialist in charge of the three northern regions, was attending to a patient who was bleeding profusely when the incident occurred.
The Director of Administration of the TTH, Mr Kusi K. Boachie, told the Daily Graphic that the young man’s father died before he was sent to the hospital.
He further said that workers of the hospital rescinded their decision to embark on a strike in solidarity with their colleague when they were assured of their safety by the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris; the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam; the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, and the Regent of Tamale, Alhaji Ziblim Abdulai.
He said when the minister’s attention was drawn to the matter, he quickly mobilised security personnel to bring the situation under control.
According to the director, the management of the TTH reported the matter to the Regent of Tamale, who advised the management to report the incident to the police for the law to take its course.
Mr Boachie entreated health personnel not to refuse posting to the area, since the management was working, with support from the political heads of the Northern Region, to ensure maximum security for them.
A member of the Health Services Workers Union who pleaded anonymity said his colleagues were not happy with recent developments at the hospital.
According to him, cases of assault on staff of the hospital were becoming rampant and stated that there was the need for such negative acts to be nipped in the bud to ensure smooth healthcare delivery at the TTH.