Medical Superintendents call for stronger emergency care to tackle no-bed syndrome

The Medical Superintendents Group is calling for an expansion of emergency and critical care facilities, alongside improvements in hospital referral systems, to address Ghana's persistent no-bed syndrome.

The group says tackling the problem will require political commitment, sustainable financing and stronger collaboration among healthcare institutions.

Speaking at the 68th Annual General Conference of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), a representative of the group said hospital managers experienced the challenges associated with the no-bed syndrome firsthand.

“Where we sit, we experience, firsthand, all the challenges associated with the no-bed syndrome,” the representative said.

The group is advocating a stronger National Ambulance Service, improved pre-hospital emergency care and real-time bed management systems to help hospitals respond more effectively to emergencies.

It is also calling for a better distribution of skilled emergency healthcare personnel and effective public-private partnerships to expand access to emergency services.

The representative stressed that individual hospitals and medical practitioners could not resolve the problem without broader institutional and government support.

“The no-bed syndrome, as we know, cannot be addressed by individual hospitals, nor by doctors alone. It requires a strong political commitment,” the representative said.

The group believes the proposed measures would improve emergency response and reduce deaths associated with delays in accessing medical treatment.

It says its ultimate goal is to ensure that no Ghanaian dies because of the lack of a hospital bed, an ambulance or timely emergency care.