Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, is facing a wave of public backlash following a heated confrontation with some staff and management of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) during an unannounced visit to the facility on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

In videos widely circulated on social media, the Minister is seen openly rebuking administrators over what he described as lapses in leadership and inefficiencies in service delivery. The visit, prompted by public complaints and concerns surrounding a recent patient death at the facility, has since triggered intense online debate.

Speaking on NewsNight on Joy FM on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, Mr Akandoh justified his reaction by suggesting that some responses offered by the hospital’s CEO, Dr Adam Atiku, were insensitive and failed to convey the gravity of the situation.

"I had to draw his attention that when life is lost, it's very, very important, and we must all show concern, especially when people believe that it is avoidable or preventable,” he said.

The Minister also expressed dissatisfaction with the hospital's overall condition and management of resources. “There were a lot of things that I was not happy about, especially when equipment bought by my government has been running for some time and is being left unattended. They couldn't maintain, they couldn't replace. Yet they are expecting the government to bring money to come and maintain or replace."

You people should be assessing what hospitals lack and look for ways to provide them the confrontations aren’t gonna solve anything. Provide hospitals with the needed resources and funding!!!! https://t.co/cRkyrjQtGJ

— Chips Wura (@akosua_amoabea) April 23, 2025

Critics across social media have condemned the public nature of the confrontation, describing it as unprofessional and demoralising to health workers.

This is very silly from the minister. You are being told there was no available bed, no ventilator and you are not ashamed?

For decades every government that comes in spends so much money on useless ventures. We have the resources to equip all our hospitals with life saving https://t.co/m6pCV8RpnV

— Muad’Dib (@WN_Myers) April 23, 2025

“You can’t fix a broken system by breaking the spirit of those working in it,” one user commented. Another wrote, “Assess what hospitals lack and look for ways to provide them, rather than confrontations.”

Haha you’ll use your hard earned meagre salary to pay for patients medications and bills and go out of your way to make things work in a system that is built to make you fail and they’ll come and shout at you on national tv without giving you a chance to speak haha

— Weffrey Jellington (@jeffwellz) April 22, 2025

Amid the growing uproar, the Doctors Association of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (DATTH) issued a press release defending their colleague, who was at the centre of the exchange. The association described the incident as a “public interrogation” and called the media’s portrayal “unfair” and damaging to the doctor’s professional integrity.

1. Oh the fact that they’re doing a full-blown mortality audit in front of media cameras is wrong in the first place.

2. Even that, I’m disappointed because what should have been the main focus of the discussion: providing ventilators to prevent future incidents, wasn’t actually… https://t.co/FFsQNfVPav

— Dr. George (@GeorgeAnagli) April 23, 2025

Was it an interrogation? Was it an enquiry to understand the process leading to the demise or was it a display of sheer ignorance? I honestly don’t know what it’s.

“You don’t put up that posture..I’m telling you something and you’re insisting and resisting” what?? Health Min.?

— Daniel Henaku Ofori (@dy_henaku) April 23, 2025

“Our colleague has always discharged his duties professionally and diligently,” DATTH stated. They warned against further vilification of frontline health workers already struggling under resource constraints and cautioned that continued hostility could threaten industrial harmony.

The Minister has since the confrontation confirmed the termination of the CEO of the TTH, Dr Adam Atiku's appointment.

He further disclosed that a committee has been established to investigate the circumstances surrounding a recent death at the hospital that has drawn public attention.