The President of the Ghana Medical Association, Ernest Yorke, has called for sweeping reforms in Ghana’s healthcare system, arguing that recent public outrage over the death of Charles Amissah should not be reduced to blaming individual health workers.
Speaking on Asempa FM, Prof. Yorke said the incident has exposed deeper structural failures in the health sector, including chronic underfunding, staffing shortages, and weak emergency care coordination.
He warned that focusing only on punishing health professionals risks ignoring the systemic gaps driving repeated failures in emergency care delivery.
“There is a challenge that needs to be fixed in the system. It appears that some of our members are being used as scapegoats,” he said.
Prof. Yorke explained that the widely discussed “no-bed syndrome” is not a single-point failure but a chain of breakdowns spanning patient arrival, referral systems, ambulance transport, and hospital admission processes.
He added that multiple findings from investigations point to inadequate funding, limited skilled personnel, poor working conditions, and motivational challenges within the health workforce.
According to him, Ghana continues to face shortages of ambulances, emergency medical technicians, oxygen supply, hospital beds, and critical equipment needed for timely care.
He also highlighted operational pressures on major hospitals, noting that many smaller facilities close early in the evening, forcing emergency cases to be redirected to already congested referral centres.
Prof. Yorke further expressed concern about rising cyberbullying targeting health workers linked to the case, stressing that while accountability is important, due process must be followed.
He said the GMA is engaging with official reports into the incident and will support affected members through appropriate disciplinary procedures.
However, he urged national stakeholders to treat the situation as an opportunity for reform rather than a blame exercise.
“Even if health practitioners are punished, if the core issues are not resolved, these problems will continue to persist,” he cautioned.
He concluded that only comprehensive systemic reforms can prevent future breakdowns in emergency healthcare delivery across the country.
