Health Minister to chair investigations into how a hit-and-run victim was refused emergency care by Ridge, Police, Korle Bu hospitals for close to 3 hours before he died

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has directed investigations into the circumstances under which a hit-and-run victim was refused emergency care by three major hospitals in Accra – Ridge, Police, and Korle Bu – for close to three hours before he died last week.

The minister has said he will personally chair the investigative committee on Monday, February 16, to help unravel the circumstances surrounding that “No Bed Syndrome” incident that led to the denial of emergency care to 29-year-old Charles Amissah, who was involved in a hit-and-run incident at Nkrumah Overpass.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have on numerous occasions reminded managers of health facilities not to deny emergency care to casualties under the excuse of no vacant beds available, but the directive has constantly been ignored.

On numerous occasions, the health facility managers have been told that under no circumstances should a patient be denied admission due to the unavailability of beds, as part of broader measures to eliminate the phenomenon.

The GHS, for instance, has explained that beds are not necessarily required to treat emergency cases, which can be handled anywhere in the hospital, including on a couch, table, wheelchair, or bed.

However, last Friday’s case of Charles Amissah suggests that the directive was ignored.

Speaking in a radio interview monitored by Graphic Online on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr Akandoh who is in Addis Ababa accompanying President Mahama for an AU meeting, said:

I was devastated when I heard that somebody had lost his life through this ordeal. We are going to investigate this matter. By Monday, the committee should be in action, and I am going to chair it myself. We will invite all interested parties and get to the bottom of the matter, he said.

Mr Akandoh told Citi FM that although the “No Bed Syndrome” remains a systemic challenge, it would be inappropriate to apportion blame without a thorough investigation, underscoring the need to ascertain the full facts before any action is taken.