The Chief Executive Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah has dismissed conflict of interest allegations made against him, labelling them as unfounded.

According to him, all decisions made during his tenure were approved by the hospital’s board.

“These claims are baseless. If the board knew it was a conflict of interest, they wouldn’t have approved it, so where’s the conflict of interest?” he questioned, adding that the accusations are nothing more than “shadow boxing.”

His comment comes in the wake of a petition filed by six health unions against the extension of his tenure as CEO.

The unions, including the Health Service Workers Union, Ghana Federation of Allied Health Professionals (Korle-Bu chapter), Health Accounting Staff Association of Ghana, Korle-Bu Senior Staff Association, Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association, and Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, listed several grievances in their petition.

These included inefficiencies during the CEO’s absence, delays in approvals leading to shortages of essential supplies, and alleged conflict of interest situations.

The unions warned that extending Dr Ampomah’s tenure would be detrimental to the hospital’s progress and the well-being of both staff and patients.

In response to the claims, in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Dr Ampomah said he spoke with some of the hospital’s unions, who expressed surprise at the allegations.

“I’m also on the grounds, so I asked some of the unions, and they said it took them by surprise,” he shared. He acknowledged that such challenges are not new, saying, “I understand these things; this is why Korle-Bu has not had stable leadership and no long-term planning.”

Despite the controversy, Dr Ampomah stressed his commitment to the staff and patients who rely on Korle-Bu.

“The union leaders’ interest is to take care of staff welfare. We provide free medical care for all our staff. We are the only government facility doing that. I have not been absent, so it’s not an issue.”

However, he reiterated that his relationship with the staff remains strong.

“There have not been any issues with staff; I have a good relationship with them,” he affirmed.