The Ministerial Investigative Committee set up to review emergency care delivery in Ghana has recommended the establishment of additional secondary-level hospitals across the country, particularly in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Northern regions.
According to the Committee’s report, Ghana’s healthcare system is overstretched in highly populated areas, where limited hospital capacity contributes to delays in treating emergencies, preventable deaths, and excessive referrals to already burdened tertiary facilities.
Expanding the number of secondary-level hospitals, the report noted, will significantly increase the Ghana Health Service’s ability to provide timely and quality care to critically ill patients.
READ: Committee finds no delay in patient care at Ridge Hospital
The Committee also highlighted the urgent need to build human resource capacity for holistic emergency care at all levels of the health system, especially district hospitals.
It further recommended that mechanisms be put in place to enable health facilities to acquire reasonably priced diagnostic and radiological equipment through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to ensure timely patient care.
Other proposals included continuous public sensitization on how health facilities operate, particularly emergency response procedures, as well as the introduction of regular customer care training for health staff to address apathy and complacency.
In its conclusion, the Committee stressed the importance of an adequate security presence in emergency care areas, retooling hospitals nationwide with essential diagnostic equipment, and addressing shortages of critical staff, including those in specialized emergency units.
Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, assured that the recommendations will be fully implemented to restore confidence in Ghana’s healthcare system.
He emphasized that reforms at Ridge Hospital should set the tone for broader improvements across all health facilities in the country.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
