Tribal Politics At Police Hospital?

Painstaking investigations by the New Crusading Guide has revealed that there is an ongoing power struggle between the Medical Director (MD) DCOP Dr. Godfred Asiamah and his Deputy, DCOP Dr. S.M. Zakaria as to who controls the hospital. This power struggle, has come about as result of the desire of the Deputy Medical Director (DMD), DCOP Dr. Zakaria to become MD come what may. The DMD according to our source has antagonized the MD ever since he assumed that position. �He has refused to recognize the lawful authority of the MD, he takes the least opportunity to lambast the MD and his Management team out of sheer envy in furtherance of his own dream to be MD at all cost� the source said. This looming crisis allegedly reached its crescendo when the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama waded into the leadership struggle. It is alleged that Dr. Zakaria, who is the former medical superintendent of Ho Regional Hospital in the Volta region has been speculating that since one of this own (Vice President Mahama) has ascended that throne, he would go every length to truncate the term of the current MD, Dr. Asiamah prematurely and impose himself on the Police Hospital with the tacit support of his countryman. Should he be made the MD, it would be in direct contravention of the laid down Police policy which is based on seniority, qualification, competence, discipline and the capacity to administer and manage people. The Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service prefer to appoint doctors who have additional qualification in Public Health to be appointed as Medical Superintendents, the equivalent of the MD�s position at the hospital. The Police Administration is not oblivious of this power play at the hospital. Meanwhile, a senior staff who spoke to the New Crusading Guide newspaper quizzed that �since when did the position of the MD of the hospital became a political appointment? He contended that surgical specialists do not necessarily make good managers and so opponents of Dr. Asiamah are advised not to stir the honesty�s nest. The staff who have worked selflessly under the incumbent MD declared an overwhelming support for the MD and his team in spite of all the negative publicity, open disregard for rules and regulations and non-recognition displayed by those bent on seeing the MD removed. According to the staff, the DMD was perceived to be dictatorial and have an attitudinal problem - a situation they said saw him pitched against his superiors at his former place of work. �Must we allow history to repeat itself - no� submitted the staff. The Senior Staffs who are worried on how politics is rearing its head at the hospital pointed out �that if the back biting spirit does not stop, the hospital will end up losing its staffs and some Medical Doctors� and questioned the propriety in promoting the DMD to the rank of DCOP whereas some of his colleague doctors and other staff who are more senior to him have not been promoted. �Is it in furtherance of the agenda to remove the MD and replace him with the dismissed HO regional Medical Superintendent� they queried. It is feared the DMD�s promotion would open the floodgates for other senior ACP�s to agitate for the DCOP rank. When the Medical Director Dr. Asiamah was contacted on the rumours doing the rounds, he told the New Crusading Guide that he would not place much value on the rumours rather he would like to uplift the image of the hospital to a better shape rather than to be distracted by rumours. Meanwhile, when the New Crusading Guide contacted ASP Kwesi Ofori, Head of Public Relations of Ghana Police Service on the issue he denied any knowledge of the unpasse.