The Chief Executive Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng says he has already submitted a letter announcing his departure date from the hospital.

He has therefore asked all who desire to see him pack out of Korle-Bu to pursue his political aspirations to hold their peace because it will be ‘pretty soon.’

Not willing to discuss the departure date however, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng told Kwaku Sakyi Addo via phone on Joy FM’s current affairs programme, Front Page, that he had submitted the letter to the Board Chairman of the Hospital announcing his departure.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng is aspiring to lead the New Patriotic Party as its presidential candidate for Election 2008, but his accusers say he is frequently out of the hospital on campaign trips and negatively affecting the job.

Particularly, the Minister of Health, Major (Rtd) Courage Quashigah and the Chief Director of the Ministry, Lepowura M.N.D. Jawula, have not been too pleased with the medical practitioner largely credited with Korle-Bu’s distinguished image from a previous ‘death trap’ accolade.

The two have fingered him for his continued stay in office whilst pursuing his ambition to become president, and they think he should take a bow.

A publication in today's edition of the Daily Graphic says the Health Ministry wants the Korle-Bu CEO out because his political interest is affecting his work at the hospital.

In response Prof. Frimpong-Boateng told Kwaku Sakyi Addo that the Minister and the Chief Director were ignorant of the laws appointing him, but more importantly, he believed he was contributing positively rather than negatively to the Hospital.

“It appears to me that this is a display of ignorance… I work more than 24 hours in a day, if I can put it that way. People are saying that the ministers have resigned, yes because they are ministers, the Vice President who has declared to stand … hasn’t resigned his position because it doesn’t affect him. What advantage do I have over the others? That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to go, at the appropriate time I’m going to leave my job as the chief executive…”

“Go to the Ministry of Health, the Chief Director, is he not working on the Local Organising Committee of planning the CAN 2008? Is he not aspiring to the presidency of CAF? Why hasn’t he resigned his position as chief Director to do those things? Is that not divided attention?”