As part of its oversight responsibility to ensure a healthy Ghanaian society, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health of the Ninth Parliament, on Wednesday, 3rd September 2025, paid a working visit to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The purpose of the visit was to listen to and assess the operational achievements and challenges of Ghana’s premier tertiary and quaternary health facility, and to propose solutions that would enable the Hospital to provide international-standard, seamless healthcare services.
The Committee, led by the Chairperson, Hon. Nawaane Kurt Mark (MP–Nabdam), and supported by Vice Chair, Hon. Sandaare Ngmenenso Sebastian (MP–Daffiama/Bussie/Issa), and Deputy Ranking Member, Hon. Patrick Boakye-Yiadom (MP–Obuasi East), met with the Central Management of the Hospital. They subsequently toured various clinical areas to assess the state of services, the availability of equipment, and infrastructure needs. Other members of the Committee present included Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah (MP–Akim Oda), Hon. Frank Yeboah (MP–Atwima Nwabiagya North), Hon. Mohammed Sherif Abdul-Khaliq (MP–Nanton), Hon. Emmanuel Kwaku Boam (MP–Pru East), and Hon. Titus Beyuo (MP–Lambussie), who also doubles as the Board Chair of Korle Bu.
Departments and clinical areas toured included the Accident and Emergency Centre, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Surgical Department, the Renal Dialysis Unit at the Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, in his presentation, highlighted some of the challenges and achievements.
The major challenge, he stressed, was the high attrition rate across clinical areas, which he said remains a serious threat to the delivery of efficient, quality, and patient-centred care.
Other challenges he mentioned included issues with the LHIMS system, relatively low tariffs, high input costs leading to under-recovery of costs for most healthcare packages, budget cuts resulting in over-expenditure, delays in the passage of a bill to regularise organ harvesting and transplantation, as well as infrastructure and equipment deficits.
Dr Adam disclosed that the payment of the 13th-month salary for staff poses a serious financial burden on the Hospital, citing relatively low tariffs which result in under-recoveries.
He made a passionate appeal to the Committee to ensure that the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders absorb this payment.
Among the major achievements he listed were a reduction in institutional all-cause mortality, an increase in diagnostic service utilisation, higher levels of client satisfaction, improved availability of medicines, 64% of revenue target achieved, and over 95% power availability owing to the installation of a new 2000KVA standby generator.
For his part, the Board Chair of the Hospital and member of the Committee, Prof. Titus Beyuo, reaffirmed the facility’s commitment to changing the narrative in the delivery of top-notch healthcare services. “If we fail Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, then we have failed the nation,” Prof. Beyuo emphasised.
While disclosing the Board’s approval for all staff to enjoy free healthcare services, he also urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage and rather collaborate with the Hospital authorities to improve service delivery.
The Committee Chair and his team noted that although there had been significant improvement, more still needed to be done. They reiterated Parliament’s commitment to ensuring that the necessary support is extended to the Hospital to sustain excellence in healthcare delivery in Ghana.
They also encouraged the Hospital’s Management to explore avenues through which Korle Bu’s highly skilled human resources could support under-privileged health facilities to assist in training professionals to meet the country’s healthcare demands.
Central Management members present included: Dr Frank Owusu-Sekyere, Director of Medical Affairs, and his Deputy, Dr Harry Akoto; Mr Munir Alhassan, Director of Administration; Mrs Aimee Akotey, Acting Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services; Mr Yehuza Jewula, Director of Human Resources; Mr Gideon Gawuga, Acting Director of Finance; Mr Frederick Addo Yobo, Director of General Services, and his Deputy, Mrs Cynthia Gyekye; Mrs Felicity Commey, Deputy Director of Supply Chain; Mr Pius Agbeviadey, Acting Head of PPME Unit; Mr Mustapha Salifu, Head of Public Relations Unit; Mr Nathaniel Coompson, representative of the Director of Pharmacy; and Mr Phanuel Gazie, Executive Assistant to the CEO.
