The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has demanded the dismissal of Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, criticizing his management of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) strike as intolerable.
“To begin with, Honourable Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister for Health, needs to go. He should have already left. He must go home—step down from the Ministry and go home. This behavior is completely unacceptable,” Ahiagbah asserted during an interview on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, June 14.
He took aim at Akandoh’s history, recalling his previous role as the Ranking Member on the Health Committee.
“Did you notice the things he was doing and saying? He accused Dr. Agyemang-Manu of being passive during a strike—a local strike in Kumasi, Komfo Anokye—over administrative professional issues,” Ahiagbah remarked.
He pointed out that Akandoh had previously criticized his predecessor for not taking action on a professional issue concerning a local facility, yet he is now struggling to manage a much more serious crisis impacting Ghana’s healthcare system.
The strike, led by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), halted healthcare services nationwide for several days. It was called off on Friday, June 13, after a resolution was reached through emergency negotiations with stakeholders, facilitated by Parliament’s Health Committee.
Ahiagbah condemned Akandoh’s lack of prompt action, despite having received early warnings as early as January. He claimed the Minister had promised nurses that their concerns would be addressed in the 2025 Budget but failed to deliver.
“They managed to find all the fiscal space to allocate GH¢2.7 billion for compensation at the Jubilee House, yet they did not prioritize the health of Ghanaians,” he stated.
He also criticized the Minister’s proposal to bring back retired nurses as a temporary solution, labeling it as reckless and insensitive.
Source: HotFmOnline.com
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