Ghanatodayonline.com News, Politics, Health, Education & More
The former CEO of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Oheneba Owusu-Danso, is said to have received approval from the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, for a further three-year extension to work as staff and surgeon at the Premier health facility in Ashanti.
A facility source, however, said to this reporter that the current Management had not in any manner requested the services of the septuagenarian.
The source questioned why the Minister was so determined to impose the old CEO on KATH when the institution already had a new CEO who had thus far performed admirably in the eyes of both management and workers.
According to our source, the contentious news of the former CEO’s re-engagement has caused an uneasy calm at the top management level, with several employees wondering how the Minister could make a choice without their input.
The current Medical Director and the Board Chairman are two people who are believed to have hatched the plan for the former CEO to return as a member of staff with a contract, according to information this reporter has gleaned.
When it became clear that the “returnee” CEO had not received an extension of his post despite having worked under comparable contract terms, the Medical Director reportedly wrote the letter on the Board Chairman’s orders.
A source further suggested that the Board Chairman, upon learning that another of his protégés, Kwadwo Sarbeng, had not been appointed as substantive CEO, used the Medical Director’s position to write to urge Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso’s re-engagement for reasons that were known only to the two of them.
The source emphasized that the Board Chair and Medical Director knew that President Akufo-Addo had authorized the appointment of Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah as the substantive CEO for KATH in the first week of November when they submitted this contentious letter to the Chief of Staff.
The Asante Youth Association (AYA) and some media practitioners have been wondering who may have authored the letter to the Chief of Staff and copied the Health Minister requesting for the services of the former CEO.
In a statement issued by the AYA they said they find the decision to re-employ the service of an immediate past CEO is not alien to the history of the hospital, we strongly contend that the circumstances pertaining to this particular decision by the Minister is inimical and needs serious reconsideration.
“First, Dr. Oheneba Danso has exceeded his retirement age at the time of leaving office. While this perhaps could be reasonable grounds to re-employ his services based on technical expertise, in this case the Management of KATH have not expressed the need of the services a plastic surgeon momentarily. Dr. Oheneba Danso has not practised his profession for the past six (6) years and this raises critical concerns and the current state of his competence. What’s more, at the moment, the hospital is not in dire need of his services as a plastic surgeon since the hospital has plastic surgeons in excess capacity”.
Read the full statement from AYA below:
OHENEBA DANSO HAS NOT BEEN IN PRACTICE AS A SURGEON FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS;DON’T RE- EMPLOY HIM AT KATH- ASANTE YOUTH ASSOCIATION TO MINISTER OF HEALTH.
It has come to the notice of the Asante Youth Association (AYA ) that the Minister of Health Hon.Kwaku Agyemang Manu have made one of the most unfortunate decisions in the history of the management of KATH which hitherto is in the perview of the Management.
It is in this light that, today we would like to express our grave dissatisfaction for such a decision that we believe undermines the integrity and professionalism that underpins sustainable quality health service delivery.
We have been reliably informed that the Minister of health seeks to re-employ the services of the immediate past CEO of KATH, Dr. Oheneba Danso as one of its surgeons even though he has passed the stipulated years prescribed by the laws of the country concerning public office holders.
While we firmly believe that the decision to re-employ the service of an immediate past CEO is not alien to the history of the hospital, we strongly contend that the circumstances pertaining to this particular decision by the Minister is inimical and needs serious reconsideration.
Compared to a similar decision that was taken to re-employ or contract the services of Dr. Akpaloo, he had not reached the retiring age prescribed by law. In addition, it is worth noting that Dr. Akpaloo was still practising the profession as a surgeon/lecturer while he was still in office as CEO of the hospital.
The facts relating to re-contracting the services of Dr. Oheneba Danso remains questionable on the basis of the foregoing precedence.
First, Dr. Oheneba Danso has exceeded his retirement age at the time of leaving office. While this perhaps could be reasonable grounds to re-employ his services based on technical expertise, in this case the Management of KATH have not expressed the need of the services a plastic surgeon momentarily. Dr. Oheneba Danso has not practised his profession for the past six (6) years and this raises critical concerns and the current state of his competence. What’s more, at the moment, the hospital is not in dire need of his services as a plastic surgeon since the hospital has plastic surgeons in excess capacity.
We therefore strongly call on the Minister for Health and the board chairman to provide the good people of Ghana and Asanteman, as well as the current administration, a justifiable reason for such a decision.
We, AYA hold the opinion that this decision by the minister is reckless, untimely, and needless unless proven otherwise.
We also trust in the competence of the current CEO of KATH, as we can attest to the tangible transformation he and his team have brought to KATH. He has been to resolved the no bed situation at the hospital, improve overall efficiency and ongoing rehabilitation and redecorating of the doctor’s flats which has not seen any form of repairs in the last 15 years. Within his 6 months stay in office we have learnt there is going to be a massive renovation works at KATH.
In the same period under reference, the current CEO and his team have built partnerships with other firms who line of business correlates with that of KATH to quicken the pace of development.
It stems from above that, that the current CEO and his team have something under their sleeves to offer to Ghana and Asanteman, therefore it’s imperative to support them to deliver and the superfluous decision reverse without further delay.
Long live AYA
long live Asanteman
AYA VICE PRESIDENT
Joseph Oppong 0246159303
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
