In a no-nonsense tone that cut through the usual formalities, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, didn’t mince words during a stakeholders’ meeting with the Conference of Heads of Health Training Institutions (COHHETI) on April 16, 2025. His message? Loud and clear: “You can knock on our door, but don’t bring fire with you.”
The Minister made it abundantly clear that while his doors — and by extension, those of the Ministry — are wide open for constructive dialogue, any attempt to strong-arm decisions through pressure, public unrest, or student incitement simply won’t fly. “So please,” he said pointedly, “if you want to come to me or any of the offices in the Ministry, let’s open our doors to you. And don’t cause any harm before you come here.”
Sounds fair enough, doesn’t it?
In a world where the squeaky wheel often gets the grease, Akandoh’s approach is a call back to an older, steadier rhythm of governance: talk first, act second. Or as the proverb goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.” He emphasised professionalism and mutual respect as the only acceptable tools for resolving institutional concerns, not protests, not power plays.
What especially raised his eyebrows was the growing trend of institutional heads skipping straight to public agitation — riling up students and the media — without first even picking up the phone or visiting the Ministry to talk things through. As he put it, “If a decision is taken from the Ministry, and you don’t have the patience to follow up... and you incite students to demonstrate, I will not be intimidated.”
The underlying tone? A classic “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” But more importantly, it’s a reminder that governance thrives not on threats or theatrics, but on collaboration — even when tempers flare.
Still, Akandoh wasn’t all stern warnings. He affirmed his commitment to transparent and collaborative leadership, inviting COHHETI members to use the appropriate administrative channels to voice concerns. “Let’s keep it in the family,” was the unspoken undertone — a bit like “Don’t wash your dirty linen in public.”
In a sector as sensitive and essential as healthcare, the call for dialogue over drama feels especially timely. The message from the Minister is simple: Respect the process, and the process will respect you.
Because at the end of the day, as the saying goes, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
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