Asogli Chiefs Raise Alarm Over Ho Teaching Hospital’s Equipment Deficits and Unemployment of Nurses

The chiefs and elders of the Asogli State have raised serious concerns about the declining state of the Ho Teaching Hospital in the Volta Region, pointing to inadequate medical equipment, infrastructural gaps, and limitations affecting the quality of healthcare delivery.

During an engagement with the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, in Ho on Friday, June 12, 2026, the traditional leaders questioned whether the facility truly functions as a teaching hospital, given its persistent shortages and operational challenges.

Speaking on behalf of the chiefs, Togbe Anikpi III, the Chief of Ho-Heve, expressed concern that essential equipment remains unavailable or non-functional, undermining the hospital’s intended role. He specifically cited the hospital’s MRI machine, which he said has been out of service for nearly a decade, forcing patients to travel to Accra and other regions for scans.

The chiefs noted that these deficiencies have placed additional financial and emotional strain on residents who require specialist care outside the region. They also highlighted broader systemic challenges, including high unemployment among nursing graduates in the area.

According to them, many trained nurses have remained on waiting lists for years after completing their studies, with some turning to informal jobs to survive. They warned that long delays in employment could lead to skill deterioration among health professionals.

In response, the Health Minister assured the chiefs that government is taking steps to improve conditions at the hospital, including addressing equipment and infrastructure gaps. He also indicated that nursing training quotas are under review to better align graduate output with available employment opportunities and healthcare system capacity.

The Minister further assured that measures are being considered to ensure quicker absorption of qualified health workers into the system while strengthening service delivery at the Ho Teaching Hospital.