The malfunctioning elevator in the Department of Surgery at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in the GreaterAccra Region has been swiftly repaired after Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Health Committee, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the government.
The repair comes shortly after Mr Akandoh’s unannounced visit to the hospital, where he expressed grave concerns about the non-functional elevator and its detrimental effect on the hospital’s capacity to carry out emergency surgeries.
During his visit, a widely circulated video captured a confrontation between Mr Akandoh and Dr. Adu Aryee, a surgeon at the hospital, who questioned the MP’s identity and authority to conduct the visit without prior notice.
Following the exchange, Mr Akandoh addressed the media, highlighting his frustration.
“It was brought to the public’s attention that Korle-Bu has indefinitely suspended elective surgeries due to faulty lifts.
This morning, I decided to visit unannounced to assess the situation personally,” he said.
“Regrettably, the lifts are indeed out of service.
We are here at the Department of Surgery, and the elevator is not working.
We’ve learned that some of the lifts have been down for four to five years,” Mr Akandoh continued.
He emphasized that it is “unconscionable” for a major teaching hospital like Korle- Bu to neglect essential maintenance, which directly affects patient care.
“This is unacceptable, and I call on the government and the Minister of Health to address this immediately. Surgeries cannot be suspended indefinitely.
This situation must be resolved within the next 24 hours,” he demanded.
In response, the hospital’s management confirmed on September 2 via a Facebook post that the elevator had been successfully repaired and is now fully operational.
