Management of KATH disappointed over doctors’ strike at Oncology Directorate

The management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has expressed its disappointment over the strike embarked by some doctors at the oncology directorate to demand the repair of a broken-down machine.

The Oncologists laid down their tools on Monday June 24, this year, to protest the delay in the restoration of the LINAC machine required for the treatment of cancer patients at the directorate

The Management of the hospital has described the action as needless and lack of appreciation of the efforts being made to restore the LINAC machine.

Mr Kwame Frimpong, Public Relations Officer of the hospital told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi that, the doctors were aware of the various steps and processes management had gone through to repair and restore the machine.

He said the hospital had placed an order for a brand-new water phantom needed for the calibration on the LINAC, awaiting delivery.

He explained that the purchase of the phantom required KATH bankers and the bankers of the supplier to both agree on the Letters of Credit (LC), which process the hospital did not control.

Mr Frimpong said KATH management had already released an amount of $109,000 to purchase the water phantom equipment needed for the calibration of the LINAC machine used in the treatment of cancer patients at the oncology directorate of the hospital.

He said prior to placing order for the water phantom, efforts to repair the broken down one or bring down one from Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to do the calibration yielded no results.

Mr Frimpong pointed out that all these actions and others had been painstakingly explained to the doctors at the directorate and management was, therefore, disappointed at the turn of events.

GNA

Komfo Anokye