Cardio Centre quiet despite resumption of full duties

Accra, Aug. 31, GNA - The Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital was quiet on Wednesday morning despite the resumption of full duties on Tuesday night by doctors and staff.

Sources at the Centre told GNA that the OPD was quiet because Wednesday was a public holiday to celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr. The sources said fresh cases would be attended to from Thursday although emergency cases were being received.

The resumption of full duties followed intervention of President John Evans Atta Mills in a dispute between the doctors and the Minister of Health over a letter terminating the appointment of the Director of the Centre, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng. President Mills held a meeting with the doctors and staff at the Castle on Monday and followed it up with a surprise visit to the Centre on Tuesday to appeal for an end to the strike while Government addressed their concerns.

He also requested the Hospital authorities to allow doctors at the Centre to make inputs into decisions that affected the running of the Centre.

The doctors are calling for the maintenance of structures and tradition that have kept the Centre running since its inception 22 years ago. Acting Director of the Centre, Dr Lawrence Sereboe, has emphasized the need for the Centre to remain autonomous and assured the President that the situation would be managed in the best interest of the centre. The Cardiothoracic Centre shut its doors to new patients on Monday to back demands for the reinstatement Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, who is the founder of the Centre. President Mills has acknowledged the invaluable contribution of the Centre to quality health delivery and asked the authorities and the doctors to reach an amicable solution so that the reputed quality service would not be negatively affected. The President has said the concerns of doctors and staff of the Centre would be considered and assured them that the necessary recognition to the learned heart surgeon would be given, in addition to distinguished medical personnel who had served the nation in other areas.

An official statement issued by the Ministry of Information on Monday night after the meeting said President Mills directed the proper handing over of the administrative functions of the Centre by Dr Frimpong-Boateng within a month from August 29. "The meeting, which was cordial and fruitful, was successful in clarifying the true import of the letter conveyed to Prof. Frimpong- Boateng on 24th August, 2011 by the Health Minister, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh," it added.

"While recognising the important role of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng in the establishment and growth of the NCC, President Mills emphasised that it was also imperative that the laws of Ghana were obeyed by all and that he was always mindful of his Oath to uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana."

"President Mills acknowledged that the transition process and the Minister of Health's letter could have been better and assured all of his continuous commitment to building strong institutions, promoting the rule of law and ensuring quality health care for all citizens." The statement said it was agreed that what the letter should have conveyed was the need for Prof. Frimpong Boateng, now 62, to hand over as the administrative head of the Centre, having passed the compulsory retirement age of 60 in conformity with Article 199 of the 1992 Constitution. The meeting also acknowledged that Prof. Frimpong-Boateng's appointment in 2000 was 93until further notice" hence it was never intended to be a position for the preserve of any one person.