I’ll end no-bed-syndrome deaths – Nsiah Asare

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said it will probe the circumstances surrounding the death of 70-year-old man Anthony Opoku-Acheampon, on 3 June 2018, after he was turned away by seven hospitals for lack of beds.

The matter generated public interest on social media over the weekend after the deceased man’s son, Ishmael Opoku, took to Facebook to express his frustration and disappointment with Ghana’s health system.

Narrating the ordeal, Mr Opoku said his father was rushed to C&J Hospital in Adabraka at around 11pm but had to be transferred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where they were denied access to healthcare due to lack of beds.

The situation, he said, repeated itself in five other health facilities including the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Police Hospital, Korle-Bu Polyclinic and LEKMA Hospital in Teshie where Mr Opoku-Acheampon lost his life in his son’s car.

Reacting to this development on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class91.3FM, Director-General of the GHS, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare said his office will constitute an investigative team to launch a probe into the issue and ensure people do not lose their lives in the future for lack of beds.

He said: “I’m very much disturbed with this situation, I think it shouldn’t have happened… Emergency is an emergency, so, I’ve called the regional director of health services and we’ll take note of this and call all the various hospitals which were involved to give account of what happened.

“I’ve listened to the son of the man who lost his life. I’ll at this point wish to send my sincere condolences to the bereaved family but we’ll do our best to make sure this thing does not happen again in this country of ours. I read it on social media over the weekend and we’ll set up an investigative committee to also look at it.”

Meanwhile, Mr Opoku is contemplating joining his siblings abroad as a result of his disappointment in the country’s health system.