A former Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Opoku Ware Ampomah, has called for sweeping reforms across Ghana’s health system to address long-standing emergency care shortages commonly referred to as the “no bed syndrome.”
Speaking at the Odade3 Conversations Under the Baobab Tree forum in Accra on Thursday, April 30, he said the country’s emergency care challenges cannot be resolved through isolated fixes, but require a coordinated health systems overhaul.
He explained that improvements in emergency services depend on interconnected reforms in leadership, financing, staffing, infrastructure, and data management within the health sector.
According to him, although Ghana has enacted supportive legislation such as the Emergency Care framework, enforcement remains weak, limiting its impact on service delivery.
Dr Ampomah stressed the need for stronger institutional accountability, noting that effective healthcare systems must be driven by measurement and continuous monitoring.
A key concern raised was the severe shortage of critical care capacity. He revealed that while Ghana requires an estimated 3,000 critical care beds, fewer than 200 are currently available nationwide, creating significant pressure on emergency facilities.
He also highlighted the human resource gap, explaining that critical care delivery requires highly trained staff, with each bed demanding multiple skilled nurses.
Beyond infrastructure and staffing, he pointed to professional attitude and work culture as crucial but often underestimated factors affecting patient care outcomes.
He further emphasised the importance of investing in medical technology, reliable utilities, and improved hospital infrastructure to strengthen emergency response systems.
The discussion formed part of a broader national conversation aimed at identifying sustainable solutions to Ghana’s emergency healthcare challenges and improving patient access to critical care services.
