Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Otchere Addai-Mensah, has been relieved of his position.
He was relieved of his position after a meeting with the health minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.
With two years still left on his contract, the outgoing CEO leaves office having spearheaded the famous renovation project, ‘Heal Komfo Anokye Project’ (HeKAP), an initiative to make KATH a modern premier health facility.
From two dialysis machines in 2022, Prof. Addai-Mensah leaves behind over 20 dialysis machines for the treatment of renal issues, aside from many other massive retooling efforts and the construction of a modern pharmaceutical block.
The government is expected to announce a new replacement for the health facility in the coming week.
Before the meeting, a group had petitioned the President, John Dramani Mahama, to institute an investigation into alleged indiscriminate misappropriation and violations of procurement laws at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) by the CEO.
The group argued that Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah had shown incompetence in hospital management and, thus, should be removed from his position.
In a six-page petition signed by their leader’s lawyer, Kwame Adofo, the petitioners delineated several reasons for advocating the swift removal of Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah from his position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The allegations were met with stiff opposition as labour unions at the facility dismissed the allegations, describing the petition as groundless and fraught with inaccuracies.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Otchere Addai-Mensah formally assumed duty as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi following his nomination to the position by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and subsequent approval by the Board effective 1st December, 2022.
His substantive appointment was finalized by the KATH Board chaired by Ambassador Nana Effah-Apenteng after he had successfully passed the appointment interview at the Public Services Commission in line with the guidelines on such high-profile engagements.
Prof. Addai-Mensah succeeded Dr Oheneba Owusu-Danso, who finally retired from public service on 1st November 2022, after nearly five and a half years in office.
Until his appointment, Prof. Addai-Mensah was an Associate Professor of Haematology, Immunology and Global Health in the Department of Medical Diagnostics, College of Health Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He was also the Vice-Dean of Students at the university.
Prof. Addai-Mensah is a trained medical doctor and holds a BSc in Human Biology and an MBChB (General Medicine) from the then School of Medical Sciences of KNUST. He also holds an MSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Westminster in London-UK, and a PhD in Immunology and Biotechnology from the prestigious RWTH University in Aachen, Germany. He had also completed the taught component of an MBA programme in strategic management.
Prof. Addai-Mensah previously worked as a researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology in Germany and as a resident in the Department of Pathology at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
He was a member of the board of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Ghana and National Vice President of the University Teachers Association (UTAG-KNUST and Ghana). He is a member of both the British Society of Immunology and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).
Prof. Addai-Mensah has extensive experience in scientific research and general management, and has a number of publications in reputable journals to his credit. His research interests are in Infectious Diseases, Malariology, Biomedical Sciences, Immuno-epidemiology, Haematology, Immunology, Transfusion Medicine and Public Health.
