What You Saw During Visit Was ‘Settings’- Korle Bu Doctors to Health Minister
The Korle Bu Doctors’ Association (KODA) has called for a practical solution to ‘No Bed’ syndrome at the facility, affirming that the experience of the Health Minister during a recent visit to the emergency department didn’t reflect the reality on the ground.
In a statement, it said the near-normal situation he met during his visit was inaccurate.
“The environment on the day of the minister’s visit was not a reflection of what actually happens daily at the emergency department. It is normal practice to prepare prior to a visit by a minister of state; this arrangement is not new whenever a government official plans a visit to a hospital. Eg: New bedsheets are provided for all beds, including those previously without bedsheets; everything is re-arranged to look perfect. Etc. KODA believes that accepting the actual situation on the ground is an important step towards the solutions.”
Meanwhile, the Association stated that the ‘No bed syndrome’ is more complex than just the availability of space.
Contrary to the ‘settings’ that were displayed on Saturday, it said there was a worsening state of emergency care and referrals to the Accident and Emergency department.
“Recent administrative directives have led to a surge in patient admissions that far exceed the physical and human resource capacity of the Accident and Emergency Centre.”
“While we remain committed to the ‘No Bed’ policy of not turning away any patient brought to the emergency room, the current overcrowding has forced healthcare workers to provide care in non-ideal and improvised settings. This status quo is unsustainable and poses significant risks to both patient recovery and professional integrity.”
It outlined the prevailing issues, including:
1 Overcrowding compromises infection control, delaying critical interventions, and increases the likelihood of medical errors.
2 Medicolegal Vulnerability: Providing emergency care on the floor, in chairs, or in hallway places. Doctors are at immense legal risk should adverse events occur.
3 Physical and Mental Strain: The current environment is leading to rapid burnout and physical
exhaustion among staff, which further jeopardises the quality of care.
4 Occupational hazards: squatting or bending to take care of a patient on the floor poses significant trauma to the spine of healthcare professionals, the effect of which would be appreciated in the near future.
The Association posited that the provision of 1000 extra beds would not immediately translate into enough health personnel to take care of these patients.
“The bigger problem revolves around the capacity of other hospitals that are referring these patients as well as coordination to Korle-Bu emergency department. Any number of beds provided in Korle-Bu would be filled up in no time, because the referring hospitals don’t have the capacity to take care of the conditions they are referring to the higher centers.”
The Minister of Health, together with the KBTH management team members, paid a working visit to the emergency department on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
The visit followed a viral video that showed patients being nursed in chairs and on the floor.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
