The Savannah Research and Advocacy Network (SARAN); a youth group has criticized the manner in which Dr. Thomas Winsum Anabah was sacked from his post as Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital by the Minister of Health. They want the President to “call the Minister to order and reinstate Dr. Anabah with immediate effect.
Here are some of their reasons as presented in a press statement. Kindly read and share your views under the comment section of this site:
PRESS CONFERENCE BY SAVANNAH RESEARCH AND
ADVOCACY NETWORK (SARAN)
H.E. PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFFO ADDO MUST CALL THE HEALTH MINISTER (HON.KWAKU AGYEMANG-MANU) TO ORDER AND REINSTATE DR.THOMAS WINSUM ANABAH WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen of the media for honouring our invitation to SARAN press conference.
Ghana is a unitary state governed by rule of law and needs competent human resources to handle our state institutions in order to accelerate the development and transformation we all require as a nation. Ladies and gentlemen, we will in this press conference establish beyond every doubt that Dr.Thomas Winsum Anabah is very competent and was deservedly appointed as the Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ridge, Accra.
Ladies and gentlemen, SARAN will at this moment express its grief and displeasure with the way and manner the Health Minister, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu released Dr. Thomas Anabah to his original place of work, University for Development Studies, UDS-Tamale. With reference to the Ministers letter, REF NO: MOH/OM dated May 10, 2017 to Dr. Anaba releasing him (Dr. Anabah) to University for Development Studies, Tamale, SARAN identified the following inaccuracies in the letter.
In the said letter that Hon. Kwaku Agygeman-Manu released Dr. Anaba to University of Development Studies, Tamale, SARAN would like to state without equivocation that there is no institution in the Savannah Zone as well as in the country; Ghana called University of Development Studies. Hence the minister released Dr. Anabah to a non-existent institution. Isn’t it ridiculous?
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, in that same letter, the minister (Kwaku Agyeman-Manu only copied the Director General, Ghana Health Service ignoring UDS where Dr. Anabah was originally working before his appointment as a Medical Director in the Ridge Hospital. How can Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu release Dr. Anabah to UDS Tamale without notifying UDS?
In fact this again, is a complete disrespect to the University for Development Studies and the Ministry of Education at large.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, SARAN would want to ask the Health Minister whether he is aware that Ghana Health Service under his ministry is completely different from the university system under the Education Ministry? Did he (Kwaku) co-ordinate with Hon. Mathew Opuku Prempeh, the Education Minister on this issue? SARAN would again like to ask the minister whether Dr.Anabah was appointed unlawfully? Has Dr. Anabah breached his contract? Dr.Anabah went through competitive interview and was duly appointed by the Health Service Council for a four-year mandate. The minister (Kwaku) should take note that Dr. Anabah’s appointment was non-political and was not influenced politically. He merited it.
Ladies and gentlemen, SARAN observed that the reasons given by the Health Minister in his letter and in an interview with an Accra based radio station, Okay FM 101.7MHz and other media houses to release Dr. Anaba to UDS are needless and unwarranted. The reasons are as follow:
A. Planned restructuring of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ridge. What kind of restructuring is the Minister talking about? Dr. Anabah has done more than restructuring of the hospital. The minister instead should tap Anabah’s great experience to help execute the supposed restructuring he is talking of.
B. Construction Company working on the Ridge Hospital told him (Kwaku) that Anabah was incompetent to manage the hospital. Ladies and gentlemen, this is unheard of in the history of Ghana. How can a whole minister of state take directives from a construction company to relieve an appointee of his duties without due process? SARAN is of the view that the minister’s decision was politically motivated and a deliberate attempt to traumatize Dr. Anabah. We the members of SARAN will be attempted to describe the minister’s action as political witch hunting meted out to an innocent person who is not a card bearing member of any of the opposition political parties in this country. This is complete abuse of power by the minister. The minister is still indulging in primitive politics.
C. Dr Anabah has no management skills and unfit to manage the Ridge Hospital. This comment from the Minister is unfortunate and absurd. What an irony? Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu seems to lack managerial skills instead. Well, he did mention in his vetting on 24th January, 2017 that he will have to study and consult. He is however, doing the contrary. He is not ready to study and not prepared to consult. He has refused to go to Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader of the Parliament of Ghana as promised by him (Kwaku) during his vetting for free consultation on how to manage his ministry. Ladies and gentlemen, the HEALTH MINISTER should not use Dr. Anabah as a case study and an avenue to test his managerial skills.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press the Health Minister, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu claims Dr. Anabah is incompetent and lacks managerial skills. SARAN will aid him to know the real definition of incompetence and lack of managerial skills.
I.Incompetence is when a full substantive Minister is not aware that there is no University in Ghana called University of Development Studies. The only public university we know of in the Savannah Zone is University for Development Studies, UDS.
II. Lack of managerial skills is when a Health Minister fails to know that Dr. Anabah’s appointment is not a political one.
III. Incompetence is when a Health Minister does not know that Dr. Anabah was appointed by the Ghana Health Service Council and he as a Health Minister cannot take unilateral decision without the council to relieve Dr. Anabah of his position.
IV. Gross incompetence and ineptitude is when a Health Minister takes directives from a construction company to effect a release of duly appointed Medical Director of a four-year mandate without consultation.
V. Incompetence is when a Health Minister writes a supposed transfer letter to the transferee without copying the institution he/she is transferred to.
VI. Incompetence is when a Health Minister who was assigned to the Health ministry to find sustainable funding for NHIS fails and almost runs the scheme to a shut down.
Ladies and gentlemen, at this moment SARAN will take you through the achievements of Dr. Anabah for the fifteen months of his appointment at Ridge hospital
I. Developed a Medium Term Strategic Plan
II. Developed Standard Operation Protocols
III. Developed Clinical Protocols
IV. Developed a Costing tool for pricing services
V. Computer literacy training for all staff who needed it
VI. Train all unit heads and heads of departments on Customer Care (to cover entire staff this year)
VII. Established telemedicine centre
VIII. Established a laparoscopic unit under surgery
IX. Reorganize the Organizational structure of the hospital for the befits the new hospital
X. Supported staff training in KATH, KBTH AND 37M Hospital in emergency medicine, burns management and critical care respectively
XI. Attracted more specialist and critical staff and ongoing
XII. Secured land documents for Ridge for the first time
XIII. Facilitated the re-organization of Staff Welfare and establish for the first time of Credit Union for the hospital
XIV. Established a reliable laboratory service and increase total test done by 55.6% as a result of the following:
• Introduction of hormonal assay
• Introduction of other tests such as bone profile, Cardiac profile, Trop I & T, Mantoux etc
• Placement of two analyzers in Heamatology and Chemical pathology
• Termination of MOU with MDS Lancet that lead to revenue losses from the laboratory and also made our staff redundant.
• Signed of restricted MOU with Metropolis Lab for rare laboratory test request
• End the reliance on national blood service for erratic and expensive blood for our client by establishing a blood processing unit
XV. Institute a 24/7 imaging service and introduced echocardiography services
XVI. Increase number of specialist including six critical expatriates; leading to a 77.5% increase in special consultation.
XVII. General OPD attendance increase by 26.5; as a result of improved OPD environment, staff motivation, quick turn-around-time in both laboratory and imaging service.
XVIII. No maternal mortality from lack of blood
XIX. Maternal mortality reduced by 28.5%. out of the 30 maternal deaths only one is attributable to Ridge
XX. Under 5 mortality reduced by 25.5% as result of the following:
• Successfully set up of Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment (ETAT) system at the Children’s OPD and the ward was.
• Procurement of two intensive phototherapy lights for treatment of jaundice
• Training of staff in peadiatric emergencies
XXI. Continuous improvement in the automation of financial operations – Advanced Excel Applications and financial models
XXII. Improved time in submission of NHIS claims
XXIII. Conducted survey on state revenue generation and controls by service points
XXIV. Improvement in payment to suppliers – Payment Advice system
Having gone through his achievements with you, Dr. Anabah has demonstrated considerable level of selfless leadership, hard work and commitment. He is a visionary leader who has exhibited high level of competence and must be reinstated to continue his good work of ensuring quality health care delivery.
Ladies and gentlemen by this press conference we the members of the Savannah Research and Advocacy Network (SARAN) would want to advice the president that he should not allow individuals to run his government for the country. We also humbly and respectfully called on H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo to as a matter of urgency call the Health Minister, Hon Kwaku Agyeman –Manu to order, because we the citizens of Ghana will not judge your government base on the number of people sacked. Mr. President, kindly reinstate Dr. Thomas Winsum Anabah to perform his duties as the Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ridge. This will help restore the trust and confidence in our civil services. We the members of SARAN believe that the President of the Republic of Ghana will reinstate Dr.Anabah just as he did in less than three days in the case of Dr. Wilfred K. Anim-Odame, the Lands Commission Chief Executive Officer.
Ladies and gentlemen, members of SARAN and the people of the Savannah Zone will be forced to hit the streets to demand justice and fairness if our President fails to tackle the issue within one week ultimatum.
We hope the government will respond to this call with alacrity and the seriousness it deserves.
Thank you.
Long live SARAN!
LONG LIVE GHANA!!
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL
ZINEKENA SOLOMON T.T.B
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR, SARAN
0246180297
ABUBAKARI AYARIGA
ORGANIZING SECRETARY, SARAN
0244154931
SUNDAY CASPER KAMPOLI
CONVENOR, SARAN
0249388082
