173 Cases, GH¢400 Million Claims: GHS raises alarm over medical lawsuits

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is facing medical-legal claims estimated at GH¢400 million from 173 cases recorded between 2023 and 2025.

The cases involve allegations of medical negligence, wrong or delayed diagnosis, treatment and medication errors, inadequate informed consent, and injuries or deaths allegedly linked to substandard care.

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According to a citinewsroom.com report, the Deputy Director-General of the GHS, Dr Caroline Reindorf Amissah, disclosed the figures at the opening of a five-day legal training programme for GHS legal officers in Accra.

She said the number of medical-legal cases had increased significantly over the three-year period, rising from 40 cases in 2023 to 44 in 2024 and 89 in 2025.

Dr Amissah warned that the growing number of claims could put further pressure on the finances of the GHS and affect public confidence in the health system.

“If this trend continues the financial burden could become significant, while also undermining public confidence in the health system,” she said.

She stated that the issue was not only about the financial cost of lawsuits but also the impact medical-legal disputes could have on the reputation of health facilities.

Speaking on the theme, “Medicolegal Cases: The Bane of Healthcare Delivery in Ghana,” Dr Amissah said some referral hospitals had increasingly been described by sections of the public as “death traps”.

She, however, cautioned against linking every death or poor treatment outcome at referral hospitals to negligence.

According to her, some patients arrive at tertiary health facilities only after their conditions have become severe, making treatment more difficult.

Dr Amissah therefore called for increased public education on the need to seek medical care early to reduce complications and improve treatment outcomes.

She also urged health workers to respect patients’ rights by clearly explaining proposed treatments and procedures, including their risks and benefits.

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She said patients who declined treatment after receiving adequate information should have their decisions properly documented.

Dr Amissah stressed that the GHS should not focus only on reducing the number of lawsuits but should also identify and correct preventable failures that lead to legitimate medical-legal claims.

MAG/VPO

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