The raging tension at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) over who becomes a substantive Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is fast taking a tribal dimension, as another name has popped up as the favourite of the people of the area.
Reports reaching The Chronicle indicate that a group calling itself the Coalition of Dagbon Youth Associations, being allegedly backed by some traditional authorities, is demanding government to choose a Dagomba as CEO of the hospital.
Some of the chiefs last month made an open request to the Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, during his 'Thank You Tour' of Northern Region to personally intervene for a native of Dagbon to be appointed as CEO of the Northern premier health facility.
The outgoing CEO, Dr. Prosper Akambong is a Bulsa (from Upper East Region) and Dr. David Zawumya Akolbila is said to be a Mamprusi (from Northern Region).
As a result, the Coalition of Dagbon Youth Associations, apparently acting on the chiefs' request to the Vice President is now rooting for one Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, a Senior Pathologist at the TTH, as Chief Executive Officer.
The Coalition members on Monday June 12, 2017, held a press conference at the Tamale Kaladan Park to register their displeasure at the appointment of Dr. David Zawumya Kolbila (a Mamprusi by tribe) as the new CEO of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
It would be recalled that, the CEO of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr. Prosper Akambong on Monday refused to hand over to Dr. David Zaawumya Akolbila as a new CEO of the facility, resulting in some controversies.
Dr. Akambong claimed that he had not received any formal letter from the Ministry of Health to suggest that he had been dismissed or reassigned to another facility.
He, therefore, insisted that he would not vacate post until such a letter was handed over to him. This angered some NPP youth (Kandarha Boys) who had come to witness the handing over ceremony.
They demanded that Dr. Akambong must leave the office with immediate effect to pave way for the newly appointed CEO.
However, the Health Ministry is said to have accepted the blame for the ongoing power struggle at the Tamale Teaching Hospital that has led to rising tensions among the staff, following the appointment of a successor to Dr Prosper Akambong without the necessary communications.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry, Robert Cudjo admitted that a letter should have been sent to Dr. Prosper Akambong reassigning him first, before a successor was appointed. He blamed the situation on miscommunication on the part of the Ministry.
He, however, emphasised that Dr. David Zawumya Akolbila is a substantive Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, after being appointed in a letter dated May 16, 2017.
Meanwhile, as the Kandahar Boys are fervently pushing to ensure Dr. David Akolbila takes over from Dr. Prosper Akambong, the Coalition of Dagbon Youth Associations has also vowed to resist the appointment of Dr. Akolbila or any other non-indigene as CEO of the hospital.
The Chronicle has learnt that both Dr. Prosper Akambong and Dr. David Akolbila have been talked to by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu and the handing over ceremony is likely to take place either Friday or Monday.
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