‘No Bed Syndrome’ is a National Public Health Crisis that needs system-wide emergency care reform

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has described the persistent “No Bed Syndrome” as a serious national public health crisis that continues to cause avoidable deaths and erode public confidence in the health system, despite intermittent interventions.

In a communiqué issued at the close of its 68th Annual General Conference held from 2 to 8 November 2026 at Trinity Hall, Central University, Miotso-Prampram, the Association said the problem is far more than a shortage of physical emergency beds.

It is a cascade of systemic failures that include poor internal patient-flow coordination, critical shortages of emergency-care professionals, delayed discharges linked to financial constraints, unclear referral pathways and, in some cases, poor staff attitudes.

Benchmarking against conservative estimates, the GMA highlighted staffing gaps of 58 per cent for emergency medical technicians (EMTs), 85 per cent for emergency nurses and 65 per cent for emergency physicians.

These deficits, it stated, contribute directly to poor patient outcomes and loss of trust in the health service.

The Association called for deliberate, urgent and sustained attention through a comprehensive whole-system approach.

“This requires sustained government leadership, investment in infrastructure, critical care, emergency transport and the health workforce, as well as strong governance, accountability and sustainable financing,” it said.

While acknowledging some commendable efforts by the Ministry of Health, the GMA insisted that fragmented interventions must give way to coordinated reform that guarantees every emergency patient is assessed, stabilised and transferred appropriately without financial barriers.

The Association therefore proposed seven system-wide interventions: scaling up national electronic hospital bed management systems and establishing hospital bed management teams with clear authority to coordinate patient flow, expanding hospital-wide bed capacity and introducing spillover protocols across all health facilities and implementing multidisciplinary, facility-wide patient-flow strategies.

GMA in the communiqué which was signed by GMA President Prof. Dr. (Med) Ernest Yorke and General Secretary Dr. (Dent) Richard Selormey also recommended the establishment of a dedicated and sustainable financing mechanism for emergency care, including ambulance transfers free of financial barriers, strengthening prehospital emergency care, including ambulance services and enhanced EMT training, retooling district and other hospitals with essential emergency equipment and diagnostic support and training and reorienting healthcare workers, coupled with fair accountability for proven poor attitudes.

The GMA strongly supported the government’s call for an Emergency Care Act urging that the law should protect patients’ access to emergency care, make referrals safer, ensure accountability, provide a clear funding source, set minimum standards for emergency readiness, clarify responsibilities along the care pathway and reduce geographical disparities in access.

The Association offered technical support for the drafting and promulgation of the legislation.

On other long-standing issues, the GMA reiterated that the deprived-area incentive package for health workers serving in underserved communities remains unimplemented despite repeated government commitments. It called on the authorities to expedite the allowance without further delay.

It welcomed the President’s decision to reactivate the Vehicle Hire Purchase Scheme for health workers and urged the Ministry of Health and stakeholders to finalise all implementation arrangements so the pledge is fulfilled by the end of the year.

Turning to emerging threats, the GMA expressed concern over the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease in Central and East Africa and its recent detection in Nigeria.

While commending initial sensitisation and heightened surveillance by the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service, the Association called for intensified public education, designation of quarantine and isolation sites, case-management readiness, strengthened community surveillance and proactive allocation of funds for any possible outbreak response.

The GMA advised the public to practise regular handwashing with soap under running water, use alcohol-based sanitisers, avoid contact with infected persons, dead bodies or contaminated objects, and promptly report high-grade fever, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, general weakness, vomiting or unexplained bleeding to the nearest health facility. Citizens were urged to remain vigilant and alert authorities to similar symptoms in their communities.