Doctors of Korle-Bu began (Korle- Bu Doctors Association (KODA) industrial action yesterday, Monday, April 5, over unresolved operational concerns which they described as serious threats to patient safety and professional standards.

The Association announced plans to strike on April 30, giving the management of the hospital until the close of that day to address their concerns of its members withdrawing their services with immediate effect after the deadline.

The first meeting with hospital management ended in a stalemate, prompting the doctors to embark on a strike and withdraw all Outpatient Department (OPD) services. Following a second meeting, however, hospital authorities agreed to address their concerns, particularly what the doctors described as a critical issue: the ongoing disagreements between laboratory physicians and medical laboratory scientists.

Consequently, KODA has called off the strike action. The Association announced this in a formal statement yesterday, Monday, April 4, in which it directed its members to resume work from Tuesday, May 5.

The association emphasised that peaceful collaboration between the two groups is crucial to delivering quality healthcare at the hospital.

KODA added that it remains committed to patient safety and upholding high professional standards at the hospital.

What were their concerns?

KODA asked the hospital management to reinstate Laboratory Physicians and trainees to the Central Laboratory, ensure all specialised laboratory results are validated by qualified Laboratory Physicians, guarantee unrestricted access to laboratory systems and equipment for clinical and academic work, investigate alleged threats against doctors, and halt the rollout of 24-hour specialist outpatient services until proper consultation and staffing are secured.

Meanwhile, last month, the government announced plans to establish a National Command Centre as part of efforts to significantly reduce emergency response time and improve patient outcomes across Ghana’s healthcare system.

Board Chairman of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Prof. Titus Beyuo, said the proposed centre will enable real-time coordination of emergency cases, ensuring patients are directed to hospitals with available beds instead of overcrowded facilities.

He disclosed the plan amid growing concerns about congestion at major referral hospitals, particularly Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, which continues to receive a high volume of emergency cases.

Speaking on the Joy Super Morning Show on Tuesday, March 24, Prof. Beyuo explained that the command centre forms part of a broader emergency patient management system being developed to streamline care delivery nationwide.

“We need the ambulance service to relocate their call centre to this national command centre. We need to get physicians and other people at the command centre who will do an online sorting of patients and redirect them,” he explained.

The initiative is expected to transform how the National Ambulance Service operates, as ambulance teams will no longer send patients automatically to facilities like Korle Bu Teaching Hospital or Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital without confirming bed availability.

Instead, emergency cases will be routed based on real-time data from the command centre, a move expected to reduce delays that often worsen the condition of critically ill patients.

A key challenge the system seeks to address is the lack of visibility on bed availability across hospitals, which frequently results in patients being taken to already overstretched facilities.

Prof. Beyuo indicated that for the system to function effectively nationwide, all of Ghana’s over 200 ambulances must be integrated into the platform—an effort that is currently ongoing.

He added that the command centre will help distribute emergency cases more efficiently across healthcare facilities, easing pressure on major hospitals while improving survival chances.

Prof. Beyuo also credited the Minister of Health for driving the initiative forward, describing the minister as “very committed” to ensuring its implementation.