Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South Hon. Dr. Kingsley Agyemang has insisted that Ghana’s recurring “No Bed Syndrome” must not become a justification for preventable deaths in emergency situations.
According to the MP, the phenomenon is symptomatic of deeper structural weaknesses within the health delivery system.
In his comprehensive statement of the emergency health crisis, Dr. Agyemang stated, “The issue extends beyond the physical availability of beds.”
“It reflects deeper systemic inefficiencies, including weak referral coordination, inadequate triage management, insufficient high-dependency and step-down facilities.”
He noted that critically ill patients being transferred from facility to facility in search of space undermines the integrity of the healthcare system.
“Patients in critical condition continue to be transferred from facility to facility in search of space, a situation that undermines public confidence and tragically endangers lives.”
Dr. Agyemang also questioned whether increased budgetary allocations are translating into real emergency readiness.
“Although the 2026 health sector allocation records a 28.5 percent nominal increase, the sector still accounts for only 5.38 percent of total government expenditure,” he said, noting that this remains below the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark.
He proposed the establishment of regional emergency stabilization units to ease congestion at tertiary hospitals and improve referral efficiency nationwide.
“Emergency care must not be defined by broken systems or delayed responses, but by readiness, coordination, and reliability,” he concluded.
