Patients stranded at Wa Hospital as doctors protest

Patients who visited the Wa Regional hospital Tuesday morning were left to their fate as doctors and nurses there protest the appointment of a new Medical Superintendent.

Joy News’ Rafiq Salam reports that some nurses and doctors were seen in the hospital premises but they were not attending to patients.

The doctors and nurses believe their preferred candidate Dr. Anthony Fofie – who is a Gynecologist at the hospital – has laboured enough and deserves the position. They are opposed to the appointment one Dr Bannabas Gandaa as the head of the regional hospital.

The doctors and nurses said out of about ten doctors who were posted to the hospital in 2006, Dr. Fofie happened was the only one who stayed.

This and the Dr Fofie’s relationship with his colleagues and patients who visit the hospital, they believe should be enough to earn him the position.

They say even when Dr. Fofie travelled for further studies, he returned to the hospital after his studies.

The new Medical Superintendent, Dr. Gandaa who is also a Gynecologist was the head of the Labour Wards of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

But the Doctors and nurses said he is not fit for the position awarded him. They posted notices that read ‘Dr Gandaa is an opportunist’, ‘Dr Fofie has suffered enough. It’s his time’, ‘This is not animals kingdom.’

Patients who have been queuing at the hospital since dawn are still waiting to be attended to. Mothers who went with their sick children were seen sitting helplessly on hospital floors.

Joy news’ Rafiq Salam reports that some of the patients have gone back home. “After I went for my folder, I was told the nurses are not working until they get an order from above. I am helpless right now,” a patient told Rafiq.