The Ministry of Health has denied any ploy to sack Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, the Chief Executive Officer of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The denial comes barely four days after The Independent newspaper published what it said was an alleged plot to offload the politicking CEO. Speaking to The Independent in an interview, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula confirmed that, he indeed signed a letter on behalf of the Ministry but said the move was a step to draw the attention of the Board Chairman for Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Professor Samuel Ofosu Amaah to certain realities and happenings at the hospital. He said, the Ministry wanted to draw the chairman's attention to the fact that because Professor Frimpong Boateng is pursuing his political agenda, it appears the hospital stands to suffer from his absence at times. In view of this, the Chief Director indicated that the Ministry wanted to find out from the board chairman what the Korle-Bu CEO had told him about his intentions as to whether he was going to resign or take a long leave to enable him pursue his flagbearership aspirations. This, he said, was very important because it would afford the Ministry the opportunity to look for his replacement on time so that there would not be a vacuum created should Prof Boateng decide to leave office unexpectedly. Lepowura Alhaji Jawula also confirmed to The Independent that the Health Minister, Major (Rtd) Courage Quashigah had discussed the matter with the board chairman about two months ago and that the letter he Chief Director signed was a reminder to the earlier discussion between the two (Quashigah and Prof. Ofosu Amaah). According to the Chief Director, Korle-Bu has about 400 doctors and about 4,000 nurses including pharmacists and paramedics and that such a huge workforce needed constant monitoring and supervision, pointing out that the administration of the hospital does not require somebody who would be "in today and out tomorrow". He told The Independent that there were times the Ministry had wanted to discuss serious issues about the hospital with the CEO but he was not at post, having asked permission from the board chairman to absent himself, which situation, Alhaji Jawula noted, creates problems for the Ministry and the administration of the hospital. To the Chief Director, "Professor Frimpong Boateng is a fine professional, but the problem of the Ministry has to do with absentee management and lack of sufficient delegation of authority." He said the position of CEO for Korle-Bu demands a day-to-day management and sometimes hour-to-hour management and which will not be achievable if the CEO has to spend much of his time pursuing his private agenda. Alhaji Jawula also scorned the position that the Ministry does not have the authority to sack a CEO of a Teaching Hospital because he is appointed by the President in consultation with the hospital's board. "Nobody should test our capability to do something we don't intend to do.” The MOH Chief Director stated that the Health Minister, Courage Quashigah has had no occasion to question the administrative style of Prof Frimpong Boateng, and the two have never ever crossed swords. But the Chief Director said Prof. Frimpong Boateng has never for once discussed his political ambitions with the Ministry, and all that the ministry knows is what is put out in the media about his (Frimpong Boateng) aspirations. He said in that regard, as a responsible Minister, Courage Quashigah had to find out the true situation, adding that, “you don't need a soothsayer to tell you that his absence from Korle-Bu will lead to the absence of total control in the administration of the hospital.” Source: The Independent