The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is advocating for real-time bed tracking across Accra, enhanced coordination with the National Ambulance Service and the creation of a national emergency command centre to monitor hospital capacity and response.
The call follows recent concerns over ‘no bed syndrome’ at some major health facilities across the country.
The Association in a statement has confirmed that a viral video showing patients receiving treatment on chairs and on the floor at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Accident and Emergency Centre is genuine.
This comes after earlier claims by Hospital’s Management that the footage may have been artificially generated.
According to the GMA, the situation is not unique to Korle-Bu. It says similar occurrences happen periodically in several health facilities across the country, particularly during periods of high patient inflow.
The Association explains that in such surge situations, health workers are often left with no option but to treat patients on trolleys, chairs, and in some cases, on the floor, due to limited beds and space.
They further point to recent administrative directives by hospital authorities and the Ministry of Health as possible contributors to increased admissions beyond the emergency centre’s capacity.
GMA warns that decisions taken without thorough assessment could compromise patient safety and the quality of care.
While acknowledging efforts to address congestion, the Association is calling for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to the problem.
“The video also exposes the danger of issuing directives without a comprehensive assessment of the situation, which does not bode well for finding lasting solutions but rather results in unintended significant risk to the quality of care and patient safety. While we welcome attempts to address the congestion, the Ghana Medical Association calls for a more comprehensive and holistic systems approach with demonstrable commitment to help deal with the situation,” they said.
The GMA is further calling for an urgent inter-agency meeting involving stakeholders such as the Ghana Health Service, private healthcare providers, and professional bodies to develop sustainable solutions.
‘‘There must be a pre-arrival coordination between referring facilities, National Ambulance Service and the Accident and Emergency Centre of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital,” they stressed.
In the long term, the Association says district and regional hospitals must be better equipped to handle more cases locally to ease pressure on major referral centres.
By Sarah Apenkroh
