Tamale Teaching Hospital safe, resume work - Police to health workers

The Northern Regional Police Command has appealed to nurses, midwives, doctors and other health professionals at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to return to work as their safety is assured.

Health workers at the hospital announced on Wednesday, 15 August 2018 that they have laid down their tools in protest to attacks on their CEO, Dr David Kolbilla, by a coalition of pro-NPP youth including vigilante group Kandahar Boys, on Monday 13 August 2018.

The youth, who attacked the hospital, accused the CEO of adopting a habit of issuing threats to staff, engaging in procurement breaches and neglecting the purchase of key hospital consumables such as examination gloves, needles and syringes, among others.

They also alleged that under Dr Kolbilla’s watch, the Tamale Teaching Hospital keeps deteriorating.

However, the health professionals indicated that they do not feel safe and requested among other things, the establishment of a police post before returning to work as the attacks have been rampant.

Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), ASP Yusif Tanko, told sit-in host Benjamin Akakpo on Wednesday, 15 August 2018 that the police are “assuring doctors and nurses that we will continue to be there to ensure that they have security while they go about their legitimate activities”.

He said: “We have security on the ground; the security has been there since the incident happened. So, for now, we don’t see any threats to them”.

ASP Tanko revealed that processes have commenced to probe the matter and arrest the culprits however identification of the miscreants have been a challenge.

“Investigations are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators of the act and put them before court so that the law will deal with them,” he noted.

On the issue of the establishment of a police post, he said “that demand is a little too much”.

"We cannot use a day or one week to establish a security post because it must have all the requirements of a mini police station." He said it is “the responsibility of the hospital to build that post” and the police will provide the personnel.

He however assured that the police will have officers at the premises of the hospital to curtail further attacks.