Tamale Teaching Hospital Doctors Lay Down Tools

The doctors of the Tamale Teaching Hospital have suspended selected services to patients.

A statement issued by the group on April 23 said they had indefinitely suspended all emergency and out-patient services including General OPD, Antenatal clinic, Specialist clinic and Paediatrics OPD.

However, it said in-patient care should continue for clients currently on admission until they are discharged from the hospital.

The doctors are baring their teeth at the government after the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and the MP for Tamale North Constituency, Albassan Suhuyini, chastised the Head of the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital over the death of one patient over the weekend.

Their return to the post, they said, is conditioned on an apology from the Minister and the MP.

“We shall resume the provision of emergency and out-patient services after we receive appropriate apologies.”

Meanwhile, they charged the Management of the facility to ensure a list of basic necessities are made available to facilitate their work.

They are:

a) Constant flow of water through the taps for clinical work
b) Stable electricity supply in the hospital
c) Constant supply of oxygen
d) Provision of consumable items such as gloves, gauze, cotton, face masks, cannulae, sutures, syringes, disinfectants, glucometer strips, plaster, etc.
e) Constant supply of reagents to ensure continuous availability of essential laboratory tests within the hospital
f) One hundred continuous vital signs monitoring devices for all high-dependency units in the hospital
g) Four ventilators at the accident and emergency department
h) Four ventilators at the intensive care unit i Two ventilators at the pediatric emergency ward
j) Two ventilators at the neonatal intensive care unit
k) Two ventilators at the maternal intensive care unit
l) Two transport ventilators
m) Two transport incubators at the obstetrics and gynaecology department
n) Service and repair the 1000L autoclave machines at the CSSD

They also demanded:
a) An MRI scan machine that does not use helium
b) A CT scan machine that has an infusion pump
c) A mammography machine
d) A fluoroscopy machine
e) A C-arm machine at the main theatre
1) ABG machines in all intensive care units of the hospital and one at the accident and emergency department
g) Two mobile x-ray machines

The group says it will advise itself if there is a failure to achieve the above within the shortest possible time.

It warned, “Should any of our members feel threatened at any point in the provision of services within the hospital, they shall immediately remove themselves from such hostile environment for their own safety.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini