GHS E-bed may curb no bed syndrome but abandoned – Health Analyst

Public Health Analyst, Samuel Arthur has said the Ghana Health Service (GHS) can solve the issue of no beds at health facilities resulting in fatalities when the E-bed system is revived.

Speaking on Starr Today with Awusi Dede on Friday, February 17, 2023, Mr. Arthur indicated that the government can solve the no-bed issue that has bedevilled the country for some time now when authorities are held accountable.

“I know over the years the Ghana Health Service started something that is the E-bed system which virtually was to help to have real-time information about beds that were available in facilities within certain networks. But I don’t know how far we have come with that. That was somewhere in 2017 so we are about seven years now. Where are we with the E-bed? Is it something that was piloted and abandoned? Or is it something that we felt could not help us?" Mr. Arthur asked.

He continued: “If not, let’s get people to come together and see how we can use technology to deal with this. If not we will have people get to the facility only to be told that there is no bed. And their only option will be to be moving from one facility to another ending up in fatalities in most cases which in most cases we can avoid, so unfortunate.”

Background

An eleven (11) year old girl Linda Mirekua dying from kidney disease has reportedly been denied admission at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital over the unavailability of a medical bed.

Mirekua from Nobi, a farming community in Abuakwa North Municipality has been diagnosed with kidney disease but left to die in the house due to the inability of her physically challenged poor mother to foot the cost of her dialysis.

Her condition worsened in recent times and was admitted to Akyem Tafo Government Hospital.

Linda’s situation was posted on a local social media platform where GHC6,000 was mobilized from contributions of philanthropists for dialysis service at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

However, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday, February 16, 2023, reportedly denied her admission over the unavailability of a bed.

Management of Akyem Tafo Hospital further contacted the University of Ghana Medical Center (UGMC) to refer Linda Mirekua but UGMC is demanding the patient to pay GHC8,000 medical bill arrears own the facility last year and be prepared for “cash and carry” before she will be admitted for the dialysis service.

Linda Mirekua is stranded at Akyem Tafo Government hospital as her condition deteriorates.