The planned strike by the Korl- Bu Doctors Association (KODA) is set to come off tomorrow following failed negotiations with management of the medical facility.

KODA on Thursday, April 30, issued a notice of an imminent strike if their concerns aren't addressed by the close of that day.

However, following the meeting with the authorities of the hospital, KODA is set to proceed with the industrial action tomorrow over longstanding operational and policy 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.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, April 30, Secretary of KODA, Dr Joojo Nyamekye-Baidoo, said the association had to resort to an industrial action.

According to Dr Nyamekye, among the concerns that the association sought a redress, the most pressing is the exclusion of Laboratory Physicians from the hospital’s Central Laboratory, a situation KODA said has disrupted both clinical service delivery and specialist medical training.

Also, doctors for years have been denied access to the facility for years, with reports of threats contributing to their continued absence.

“Strike is the only option. I think we’ve engaged management enough, and I don’t think they have come back to us in good faith,” he lamented.

According to him, the arrangement has also created operational inconsistencies, as the hospital still relies on external laboratories, including the University of Ghana Medical School facility, for diagnostic services.

Dr Nyamekye-Baidoo said the strike, expected to begin on May 4, will be rolled out in phases, starting with outpatient services and potentially extending to emergency and inpatient care if unresolved. He also noted that the action has the backing of the Ghana Medical Association.

Among KODA's demands are the immediate reinstatement of Laboratory Physicians and trainees to the Central Laboratory, unrestricted access to clinical systems, and merit-based leadership of laboratory departments. It is also calling for independent validation of specialised test results and an investigation into alleged threats against its members.

In addition, the Association has rejected a proposed 24-hour specialist outpatient service policy, arguing that existing services already meet that need and warning that expansion without additional staffing could overstretch personnel and affect patient care.

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.