The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, has warned that Ghana’s emergency healthcare system is struggling to meet the needs of the population, resulting in preventable deaths.

Speaking during a JoyNews national dialogue on emergency care on Thursday, April 2, she said that systemic weaknesses, insufficient infrastructure, and limited hospital capacity are putting patients’ lives at risk every day.

“Every day, every day as we sit here, people are losing their lives at our emergency centres, and most of them are preventable,” she said.

She highlighted how Ghana’s growing population, increasing traffic, and the surge in motorbikes, including Pragya motorcycles, have intensified pressure on roads and emergency services.

She referred to the limited capacity of emergency units across major hospitals, noting that even teaching hospitals stretch themselves to accommodate patients beyond their designated space.

“Take Korle Bu Teaching Hospital — 50-bed capacity at the emergency. We have six teaching hospitals, and yet the infrastructure is still insufficient for the demand,” she said.

Police Hospital -10 emergency beds, UGMC - 20 beds, Akomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital-35 beds and Cape Coast Teaching Hospital- 15 beds.

"The truth of the matter is, with population growth and all of that, how are we responding to emergencies within our country? Even including disasters and large-scale incidents,” she said.

Ofori-Ampofo pointed out that while having emergency and critical care centers in all regions would be ideal, Ghana still lacks such comprehensive facilities.

Instead, emergencies are handled in small units within existing hospitals, which are often insufficient for the demand.

She stressed the importance of a responsive and efficient health system that can provide timely care, particularly during emergencies where minutes can mean the difference between life and death.