Staff of the Adansi North District Health Directorate in the Ashanti Region have threatened to withdraw their services over alleged continued encroachment on land belonging to the health facility by a private developer.
The workers, who wore red during a protest in Fomena on Friday, August 14, 2026, said they could lay down their tools if authorities fail to intervene and halt the alleged encroachment.
They said the development could deprive the Directorate of land needed for future expansion and public health activities, including immunisation and family planning programmes.
Nana Yaw Agyere Akadum, Promotion Officer of the Adansi North District Health Directorate, said the Directorate had raised concerns about the alleged encroachment with the District Assembly and other authorities for about a year without a resolution.
He said the latest incident followed a request from the Adansi North Traditional Council informing the Directorate that the private developer wanted to extend his project.
According to him, the Directorate responded that it lacked the authority to approve the request and referred the matter to the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services.
“We sent the letter at 7 a.m. When it got to the evening, around 5 pm, we saw that there were workers here who were digging the foundation,” he said.
Mr Akadum said the development had heightened fears among staff that the entire parcel could eventually be taken over.
“Our fear is that when we wake up the following day, and we come around, and we see that since he has started encroaching on the land, possibly he can take over the whole land,” he said.
He warned that the workers would be forced to stop work if the matter was not addressed.
“If this issue is not being addressed properly, if the District Chief Executive, the District Assembly, the Assembly Members don’t come in to address this issue appropriately, we’ll stop coming to work. We’ll put down our pens, and we’ll not come to work until further notice,” he said.
The workers appealed to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Regional Director of Health Services, District Chief Executive, Assembly Members and traditional authorities to intervene.
They said losing the land could affect the Directorate’s ability to expand its operations and provide essential public health services.
“Moreover, we have vaccines that are being used for immunisations being stored at the District Health Directorate. That’s where public health activities are being carried out,” Mr Akadum said.
He said the workers were wearing red to draw attention to the situation and press authorities to resolve the dispute before the land is lost.
