Water Shortage Forces Ghanaian Hospital to Suspend All Surgical Cases

Source: Africa Publicity

Doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital of Ghana, have suspended all surgical cases with immediate effect due to a severe water shortage that has plagued the hospital since last week.

In a memo dated March 25, 2025, the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association informed management that the decision was made in the best interest of patient safety and security. “Despite efforts to manage the situation, the current lack of water has reached a critical point, compromising both patient safety and healthcare delivery,” the memo read.

Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA), Dr. Michael Leat, apologized for the inconvenience caused and urged management to intervene urgently to address the water crisis. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and kindly request management’s urgent intervention to address the water crisis.”

The hospital’s management explained that the Ghana Water Company Limited has yet to restore water supply to the hospital since the service was curtailed last week. “We are at the moment depending on alternative sources which have proven inadequate due to the huge volumes of water required for our operations on a daily basis,” the Public Relations Directorate said.

The hospital is relying on alternative water supplies from the Ghana National Fire Service, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, and Ghana Water Company Limited, but these supplies are insufficient to meet the hospital’s operational needs.