GMA calls for overhaul of emergency healthcare system after Amissah report

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has made a renewed call for major reforms in the country’s emergency healthcare system after a report on the death of engineer Charles Amissah was released.

According to the association, if the deep-rooted structural problems at health facilities are not fixed, more families will continue to lose loved ones.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast show on Friday, April 8 2026, Deputy General Secretary of GMA, Dr Dan Anane-Frimpong, said the tragic death of engineer Charles Amissah is not an isolated case.

He pointed out that the country is facing the same issues that occurred years ago.

“We are back to the same issue years later, which means the system has not been redesigned,” he said.

Dr Anane-Frimpong highlighted several critical weaknesses in the system, including too few emergency beds, not enough staff, and poor coordination between hospitals.

He painted a worrying picture of the situation in Greater Accra Region which is home to about six million people.

According to him, Greater Accra, with a population of about six million, has only about 200 emergency beds, far below the required capacity.

He also called for the introduction of a modern, integrated electronic bed management system to help ambulances and hospitals work together more effectively.

He noted that the lack of such systems forces ambulances to move patients between facilities in search of available space, often with fatal consequences.

The GMA is also pushing for dedicated funding for emergency care so that no patient is turned away because they unable to pay up front.

“Emergency healthcare should not depend on whether a patient can pay,” he said.

NA/VPO

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