The Ministry of Health (MoH) has dismissed suggestions that Ghana’s persistent “no-bed syndrome” is caused by an inadequate number of hospital beds, arguing instead that the problem stems from poor coordination and inefficient bed management across health facilities.
Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, said available data indicates that hospital bed occupancy nationwide averages about 60 percent, meaning a significant number of beds remain unoccupied.
Speaking before Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Dr Ayensu-Danquah explained that the key challenge is the absence of a real-time bed management system capable of tracking available spaces and directing patients to the appropriate health facilities.
According to her, a centralised system that provides up-to-date information on bed availability would enable ambulance services and emergency teams to transport patients directly to hospitals with the required capacity.
“If we have more beds, why are we having no-bed syndrome? I believe the occupancy rate is 60 percent. So, with 100 beds in a hospital, 60 of them are occupied and 40 are available. Why then should someone experience a no-bed syndrome?” she questioned.
Dr Ayensu-Danquah said the proposed system should capture the availability of specialised beds, including intensive care unit (ICU), maternity and orthopaedic beds, to improve emergency referrals and reduce delays in patient admission.
“We believe that if we have a proper management system that tells you, for instance, in real time, that Ridge Hospital has one ICU bed, two maternity beds and one orthopaedic bed, then when an ambulance is transporting a patient, we will know exactly where to take the person,” she said.
She maintained that evidence available to the Ministry shows that bed capacity exists in many health facilities, but inadequate coordination and the lack of real-time information often result in patients being turned away.
The Deputy Minister stressed that strengthening hospital bed management systems would improve access to timely healthcare, enhance emergency response and significantly reduce complaints associated with the country’s “no-bed syndrome.”
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