The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has resumed admitting patients at its Accident and Emergency Centre following a brief suspension triggered by severe overcrowding and limited bed capacity.
Hospital management says the decision comes after urgent consultations with public and private health facilities across the Ashanti Region to ease pressure on the referral centre, which serves patients from about 12 regions nationwide.
Dr Yaw Opare Larbi, Acting Medical Director of KATH, explained that the temporary halt in new referrals allowed stakeholders to assess bed availability in surrounding facilities and coordinate a more balanced patient distribution system.
He said the engagement involved the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, medical superintendents of Ghana Health Service facilities, and selected private hospitals that regularly receive referrals from KATH.
According to him, some facilities agreed to continue managing patients pending transfer, while others offered to accept additional cases depending on their capacity.
Dr Larbi noted that although some hospitals have equipment such as ventilators and beds, they lack the specialist staff needed for intensive care, making continued collaboration with KATH essential.
He added that KATH specialists will support partner facilities through remote consultations to strengthen case management and improve outcomes.
The Acting Medical Director said the hospital had already reduced a backlog of nearly 40 patients awaiting admission, allowing a gradual reopening of emergency admissions.
However, he stressed that capacity challenges remain acute, pointing out that only five beds were available in the D-Block during morning rounds, with patients still being managed on stretchers and in temporary spaces.
Despite the pressure, Dr Larbi assured the public that no emergency case would be turned away.
“Any patient who arrives will be admitted. We are managing the situation and doing everything possible to ensure continued care,” he said.
The hospital had earlier announced the temporary suspension of admissions at its Accident and Emergency Centre due to congestion, a move that raised public concern and highlighted ongoing strain on Ghana’s referral healthcare system.
