No critically ill patient should be turned away over lack of beds – President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has directed health facilities across the country to ensure that no critically ill patient is turned away because of a lack of available beds, insisting that emergency cases must be assessed and stabilised before any referral is arranged.
He said hospitals have a responsibility to provide immediate assistance to patients in critical condition, even when they lack the capacity to offer definitive treatment.
Addressing the 68th Annual General Conference of the Ghana Medical Association, President Mahama stressed that the government’s response to the persistent ‘no-bed syndrome’ must go beyond increasing the physical number of beds in hospitals.
“When a patient arrives in critical condition, we cannot simply say, ‘No bed, no bed, go somewhere else.’ At the very least, the patient must be assessed,” he stated.
He added that where a facility has the capacity to stabilise a patient, healthcare professionals must provide the necessary intervention before arranging a transfer to a hospital capable of delivering further treatment.
“If the facility can provide stabilisation, it must do so before arranging a transfer to another hospital that can provide the required treatment,” President Mahama emphasised.
The President said government was introducing an Integrated Bed Management and Referral Coordination System (IBMRC) to improve emergency referrals and enable hospitals and ambulance teams to identify facilities with the capacity to receive patients.
The digital system, currently being piloted at seven major health institutions, including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ridge Hospital, the 37 Military Hospital, the University of Ghana Medical Centre and the National Ambulance Service, is expected to improve coordination during emergency transfers.
President Mahama explained that emergency healthcare capacity involved more than the availability of physical beds.
“A bed becomes a place of care when trained professionals, functioning equipment, oxygen and essential supplies are available to provide the treatment a patient needs,” he said.
He consequently announced plans to expand emergency bed capacity to at least 10 per cent of the functional bed capacity of major health facilities.
At Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, which has a functional bed capacity of 1,500, the government intends to increase emergency beds from the current 65 to at least 150.
Work is expected to begin next year on the expansion of Accident and Emergency Centres at Korle Bu, Komfo Anokye, Tamale Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital.
The expansion will be accompanied by the provision of additional medical personnel, equipment, oxygen and essential supplies to ensure that the new beds are fully operational.
As part of immediate measures to ease pressure on emergency services, President Mahama also announced that the Ghana Armed Forces Critical Care and Emergency Hospital was opening to the public and would begin receiving patients.
He said the government was determined to strengthen coordination between military and civilian health facilities to maximise the use of available healthcare resources.
President Mahama further assured families that patients and their relatives must receive clear information and guidance throughout the referral process rather than being left to navigate the healthcare system on their own.
He maintained that the reforms were aimed at ensuring that every Ghanaian could access timely emergency medical attention, regardless of the pressure on individual health facilities.
