Titus Beyuo is the Member of Parliament for Lambussie
The term “no-bed syndrome,” coined by health professionals to describe persistent challenges within Ghana’s healthcare system, has resurfaced in public discourse following the death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah after a hit-and-run incident.
Often, when “no-bed syndrome” is mentioned, it is commonly understood to refer to a lack of available beds in health facilities, a situation that frequently results in patients being denied timely medical care in Ghana.
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However, Professor Titus Beyuo, Board Chairman of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and Member of Parliament for Lambussie, explained that the term “no-bed syndrome” encompasses many persistent challenges in the health system and is not solely about the shortage of beds.
He noted that the refusal to admit patients may stem from a range of logistical and clinical constraints beyond the mere absence of hospital beds.
“When we say ‘no-bed’ in the hospital, what do we actually mean? No bed could mean that there is no physical bed in the emergency unit. It could also mean that there is no blood if the managers anticipate that the patient will need it, and so they want the person to go elsewhere,” he explained.
He further noted that the term may reflect shortages of specialised personnel and critical infrastructure required to manage emergencies.
“It could mean there is no particular skill available. For instance, an anaesthetist is not there, and they think the patient will require surgery. It could mean there is no theatre space. It could mean there is no oxygen in the hospital. There is no ICU bed, but we think this patient needs ICU care,” he said.
According to Professor Beyuo, even the absence of specialised treatment units, such as stroke wards, may result in patients being turned away under the “no bed” explanation.
“It could mean there is no stroke bed, and therefore we are telling you ‘no-bed’ because you have a stroke. There is no doctor at this moment, so there is no bed,” he added.
However, Professor Beyuo indicated that beyond structural and logistical limitations, behavioural and administrative challenges within healthcare facilities may also contribute to the phenomenon.
“But the most disappointing part is that ‘no-bed’ could simply mean that staff are not willing to work, and that is the very sad part. This ‘no-bed’ could mean that a shift is about to end, and someone is not willing to admit a new patient and complete all the documentation, so they turn the patient away,” he disclosed.
He warned that fear of legal liability and fatigue among medical personnel may also influence decisions not to attend to emergency cases.
“No-bed could mean that the doctor is afraid to work or is tired and feels that if he touches that patient and the patient dies, duty of care is established legally because he has touched the patient. So he thinks, ‘I have not touched that patient, so you cannot blame me for it,’” he stated.
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Questioning the ethical and legal implications of such situations, he called for broader institutional reflection and legal clarity on emergency care obligations.
“But is it really right if a patient dies within the precinct of a hospital, at the entrance of the emergency department, after waiting 30-45 minutes, and you say because you have not seen that patient, no duty of care is established? The legal brains will have to help us out,” he noted.
Watch: Lambussie MP and Board Chair of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Titus Beyuo, explains the real meaning of the “no-bed syndrome” as used in health facilities.
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Watch here: https://t.co/twcknk0kCk
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