Ghana Medical Association calls for systemic reforms over Korle Bu challenges

The Ghana Medical Association has called on government to address deep-rooted systemic issues in the country’s health sector, following ongoing challenges at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, the Association’s President, Professor Ernest Yorke, stressed that the problems extend beyond individual cases.

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“Now, what we are calling for is a relook, but this is really not about individuals; it is about systemic problems. We issued a similar statement as early as 2016, and I recall Dr Nsiah Asare, then Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, stating that no patient should be turned away.

“Yet here we are today, it is still happening. What we have been doing is merely window dressing, talking around the issues without truly fixing them. Beyond the eight points we have listed, there are many more, but we believe these are sufficient to address the current situation at Korle Bu,” he said.

Professor Yorke highlighted challenges in patient transfers between hospitals, noting that poor communication often leaves patients stranded.

“A lot of the time, patients are moved from smaller facilities to bigger centres without prior confirmation of available space. They arrive only to find there is no capacity, and unfortunately, mishaps occur,” he explained.

He proposed the introduction of a national tracking dashboard to improve coordination.

“What this tracking dashboard would do, as part of a national command centre, is enable all major facilities to network and declare their bed availability, expertise, and capacity in real time,” he added.

Professor Yorke emphasised that the responsibility for coordinating referrals should lie with healthcare providers, not patients’ relatives.

“The burden should not be on relatives to call ahead. It should be the responsibility of the referring hospital to contact a central system that directs patients to the appropriate facility,” he argued.

He also stressed the need for better integration with ambulance services.

“We are asking that this command centre be linked with the ambulance service to ensure proper coordination and reduce these unfortunate incidents,” he noted.

While expressing optimism about steps being taken by the Ministry of Health, he cautioned that broader systemic challenges remain.

Viral video of patients lying on the floor is authentic - Korle Bu doctors

“This is a critical first step that must be implemented quickly. I am encouraged by indications that the Ministry is taking this seriously. However, this is not the only problem, we still face inadequate infrastructure, insufficiently trained frontline staff, and a shortage of emergency personnel.

“As I speak, there are only a handful of properly trained emergency physicians in the country,” he concluded.

MAG/MA

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