Accra: Ghana's emergency care system is under severe strain, with the country operating at 0.7 hospital beds per 1,000 population, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has revealed. This figure falls significantly below the World Health Organization's recommended standard of 5 beds per 1,000 people.
According to Ghana News Agency, the GRNMA highlighted the widening bed deficit as a critical issue, noting that major hospitals are experiencing occupancy rates between 120 and 150 percent, exacerbating the nationwide 'No-bed Syndrome.' In a statement issued in Accra, signed by Mrs. Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the Association, it was emphasized that the crisis is both systemic and longstanding.
The GRNMA pointed out that the national bed count, estimated at about 19,907 in 2015, has not kept up with population growth, leading to persistent congestion in major referral centers. The situation is particularly severe in Accra and Kumasi, where tertiary hospitals like the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital struggle to manage over 250 admissions and 1,500 outpatient visits daily.
The Association reported that emergency units often operate beyond safe capacity, forcing critically ill patients to endure long waits or multiple transfers between facilities in search of available space. Some delays, they noted, have resulted in preventable deaths.
The GRNMA attributed the continued crisis to limited investment in health infrastructure, pointing to data from 2021 which shows Ghana allocated only 11 percent of the national budget to health, falling short of the 15 percent target set by the Abuja Declaration. This situation undermines the country's commitment to Universal Health Coverage and places immense pressure on healthcare workers.
The Association stressed that denying emergency care to patients is ethically unacceptable and damages patient dignity. It called for urgent, structural reforms to address the broader systemic failures contributing to the crisis.