The challenges at the Accident and Emergency Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital go far beyond bed shortages, the Korle-Bu Doctors’ Association has indicated, pointing instead to a fragile national referral system that continues to strain the facility.
In a statement released on March 23, 2026, the Association explained that the persistent congestion at the emergency unit is largely driven by referrals from lower-level health facilities that are unable to manage certain cases, leaving Korle-Bu as the primary fallback.
“The provision of 1,000 extra beds would not immediately translate into enough health personnel to take care of these patients,” the association said. “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 centres.”
The association stressed that the situation highlights broader structural weaknesses within Ghana’s healthcare system, particularly the lack of an efficient and well-coordinated referral network.
KODA is therefore urging hospital authorities to work closely with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to strengthen referral pathways, ensuring patients receive appropriate care at various levels instead of overwhelming one major facility.
The concerns come at a time when public attention has once again turned to conditions at the hospital’s emergency centre, following reports of overcrowding and patients being treated in unsuitable spaces.
In addition to the systemic challenges, the association raised concerns about the legal risks facing doctors working under such pressure.
It has advised its members to carefully document the conditions under which they provide care, especially in situations where patients are treated in less-than-ideal environments, including on the floor due to space constraints.
Doctors have also been encouraged to formally report all cases of overcrowding and shortages of resources to their supervisors, including Heads of Unit and the Director of Medical Affairs.
KODA further cautioned its members against compromising professional and ethical standards despite the difficult circumstances.
“The law courts would not accept such a sacrifice,” the association warned, noting that clinicians could still be held accountable for adverse outcomes even when working under challenging conditions.
The association acknowledged that several proposals aimed at addressing these challenges have already been put forward by the Ghana Medical Association and other stakeholders.
However, it emphasised that the key issue now is the political will to implement these recommendations in order to reduce preventable deaths and improve working conditions for healthcare professionals.
KODA concluded that resolving the situation at Korle-Bu will require a comprehensive, system-wide approach that builds capacity across all levels of healthcare, rather than focusing solely on expanding infrastructure at a single facility.
Source: Adomonline