President Mahama on Friday said no patient facing a medical emergency should be turned away from a health facility, even if care must initially be provided under makeshift conditions, as the government moves to end the country’s persistent “no bed syndrome”.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address to parliament, Mahama said the Ministry of Health would issue clear guidelines requiring hospitals to receive and treat emergency patients regardless of bed availability.
“You don’t need to have a comfortable bed to save a patient. No patient must be turned away from any health facility they are referred to,” he told lawmakers, adding that emergency care must take precedence over infrastructure constraints.
His remarks come amid public outrage over recent cases in which patients were allegedly denied admission due to lack of beds, including the death of a 29-year-old engineer, Charles Amissah, after he was turned away from several hospitals in Accra earlier this month.
In response, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced the formation of a committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the handling of emergency referrals at major hospitals. Akandoh said the committee would investigate before responsibility is assigned, describing the syndrome as a systemic challenge.
Mahama said his administration would complement the new guidelines with accelerated investment to expand hospital capacity nationwide. Planned projects include the implementation of Ridge Hospital Phase II to increase bed numbers at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, completion of the Police Hospital project and La General Hospital in Accra, and the Sewua Regional Hospital and Afari Military Hospital in the Ashanti Region.
He also pledged to complete the maternity and children’s block at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) one of the country’s largest referral centres.
The government says the measures form part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening emergency response and building a more resilient, self-reliant health system.
“We remain on course to build a stronger health system for all Ghanaians,” Mahama said.
