President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned health facilities not to turn away patients who report to facilities across the country with excuses that there are no beds.
The President’s comment comes after the recent report of the death of a hit-and-run-victim, Charles Amissah who was reportedly denied treatment by three separate hospitals over claims of no bed available at the facility to accommodate him.
The deceased, 29-year-old Charles Amissah, an engineer with Promasidor Ghana Limited, sustained severe shoulder injuries in a hit-and-run accident at the Circle Overpass in Accra on February 6, 2026.
He was stabilised by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel and prepared for transfer to a hospital for further treatment.
Reports indicate that Amissah was unable to secure admission at the Police Hospital, Ridge Hospital, and Korle Bu due to a lack of available beds. While at Korle Bu, he reportedly went into cardiac arrest and passed on.
Delivering the 2026 State of the Nation Address on Friday, President Mahama condemned the act of health facilities not treating patients over claims of no-bed.
He stressed that patients must be treated at all times when they report to hospitals, insisting that facilities do not need beds to accommodate patients before they provide healthcare.
“Patients facing medical emergencies must be received and given health if even under makeshift conditions. You don’t need to have a comfortable bed to have a patient. No patient must be turned away from any health facility they report to,” he stresssed.
The President noted that the Ministry of Health is expected to issue guidelines to eliminate the “unacceptable no-bed syndrome.”
He reiterated government’s commitment to completing some key hospital projects such as the La General hospital, the Komfo-Anokye maternity hospital project, etc.
“Mr. Speaker but I the meantime, government will expand capacity by implementing the Ridge hospital phase two project to increase the number of beds at the Greater Accra Regional hospital.
“We will also continue and complete the Police hospital project, we will also continue and complete the La General hospital,” he added.
