Four out of the five operating theatres at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region have been closed down following the breakdown of the central air-conditioner.

This means that the only referral hospital for the three regions in the north cannot handle more than three emergency cases at a time.

Patients would have to queue to have their turn because the theatre can only take one case at a time.

Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Misbao Mohammed told Joy News the hospital would now prioritise where there are multiple emergencies.

“We have to identify which cases are more pressing,” so they could be attended to first, he said.

Meanwhile maternity cases are being attended too normally, Misbao noted.