Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has directed all health professionals to prioritise life-saving care and ensure that no patient is turned away due to a lack of beds, even if treatment must be provided on the floor.
The Minister delivered the message during a staff durbar at the **Upper East Regional Hospital** in Bolgatanga, where he was on a one-day working visit to follow up on newly posted doctors and evaluate healthcare delivery at the region’s major referral facility.
“Please, with the greatest of respect, no health facility has the right to turn any patient away because you say there is no bed. Unless you are referring the person,” he emphasised, urging staff to do their best under all circumstances.
Mr. Akandoh, who also serves as MP for the Juaboso Constituency, instructed hospitals to stabilise patients in the Emergency Department (ED) and promptly move them to the wards to create space for incoming emergencies. He noted that keeping stable patients in the ED can prevent new critical cases from being attended to in time.
“It is better to move stable patients to the wards and create emergency beds to receive new cases…even if stable patients must be managed on the floor, that remains the better option,” he added.
During the visit, Regional Director of the **Ghana Health Service**, Dr. Braimah Baba Abubakari, briefed the Minister on the region’s health infrastructure, noting that the Upper East Region has 15 districts, a population of 1.42 million, eight public hospitals, 17 private hospitals, 45 private clinics, 79 health centres, and 529 functional CHPS zones.
Dr. Abubakari highlighted challenges with staffing, revealing that of the 27 doctors posted to the region, only seven reported for duty, with some diverted to other regions. He stressed that 105 doctors currently serve the region, with 59 stationed at the regional hospital.
The Minister reaffirmed his commitment to implementing recommendations from a committee chaired by Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa to strengthen healthcare delivery across the region.
