The Deputy Minister of Health, Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has outlined sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening Ghana’s emergency response system and ending the long-standing “no bed syndrome” in public hospitals.
Her assurance to Parliament follows the death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah, who was allegedly turned away by three major referral facilities after a hit-and-run accident on February 6.
Contributing to a statement delivered by the Minority Leader, **Alexander Afenyo-Markin**, Madam Ayensu-Danquah disclosed that the Ministry has begun retraining emergency unit staff and expanding reforms to the national ambulance service to ensure prompt and effective care for critically injured patients.
“We are retraining our emergency services staff… We are even extending this into the ambulance service itself,” she told the House, signaling a broader overhaul of frontline response systems.
The late Amissah was reportedly rejected by the **Police Hospital**, the **Greater Accra Regional Hospital**, and the **Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital** due to a lack of available beds.
In response to public outcry, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has interdicted four staff members pending investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to the Deputy Minister, the government’s intervention plan includes upgrading critical medical equipment, improving hospital infrastructure, retraining health personnel, and strengthening ambulance coordination nationwide.
She stressed that the Ministry is committed to preventing similar tragedies and ensuring that emergency cases receive immediate and adequate care, regardless of capacity challenges.
