History

In the 1940s, there was a hospital located on the hill over-looking the historic Bantama township in Kumasi. The hospital had two sections designated separately as African and European hospitals. As their names implied, the African section treated Africans while the European section treated Europeans. However, on some rare occasions, high-ranking African government officials were given treatment in the European section.

By 1952, the need to construct a new hospital to cater for the fast-increasing population in Kumasi and for that matter the Ashanti Region had become critical. The European Hospital was, therefore, transferred to the Kwadaso (Sofo Line) Military Quarters in Kumasi to make way for the new project to begin.

In 1954, the new hospital complex was completed by the contractors, Messrs. GEE Walter & Slater of the United Kingdom, and named Kumasi Central Hospital. The name was later changed to Komfo Anokye Hospital, in honour and memory of the legendary fetish priest and healer, Okomfo Anokye, whose spiritual powers is well credited and reorganized in the establishment, strength and unity of the Ashanti Kingdom. 

The hospital attained a teaching hospital status for the clinical training of medical students following the establishment of the School of Medical Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in 1975.

KATH is currently a major centre for the training of postgraduate medical and dental practitioners in various specialties and the training of under and post graduate personnel in pharmacy, nursing and other allied health professions.

Through its directorates and units, several impactful research works on health and health-related issues have been undertaken, many of which have been published in renowned and peer-reviewed national and international journals.

It has remained a leader in the delivery of specialist medical services, training and research in the country since the commencement of its operations in 1955.