The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has reassured the public of the government’s commitment to addressing the persistent “no bed syndrome” in Ghana’s health facilities.
His comments came after a visit to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, following a widely circulated video that appeared to show patients receiving treatment on the floor of the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Centre.
Hospital management has dismissed the claims, explaining that while there has been an unusual surge in emergency cases over the past two weeks, no patient was treated on the floor. The increase in admissions, they said, has put significant strain on available bed space.
After reviewing the situation and receiving a briefing from hospital authorities, Mr. Akandoh said measures are being considered to improve patient flow and reduce congestion. He emphasized that patients who are stabilised should be transferred or discharged within a reasonable timeframe—proposing a 24-hour limit after initial care.
The Minister also called on referring health facilities to ensure patients are properly stabilised before sending them to Korle Bu, rather than transferring cases prematurely due to space shortages.
Mr. Akandoh further revealed that expansion works are underway in the medical, surgical, and maternity wards to increase capacity and ease pressure on the hospital’s infrastructure.
“We need to ensure that a patient doesn’t stay more than 24 hours after stabilisation. I also urge all health facilities referring patients here to stabilise them properly before transfer. We cannot just push patients to Korle Bu because of bed shortages. This is an issue we must address,” the Minister said.