Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced that the government is actively seeking partnerships with the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), churches, and financially capable private individuals to accelerate the completion of the stalled Agenda 111 hospital projects and expand access to quality healthcare nationwide.
Discussing plans for the health sector, Akandoh explained that the new initiative is designed to ensure value for money while fast-tracking the delivery of hospital projects that have faced delays. He emphasized the government’s continued commitment to delivering these facilities but acknowledged that strategic partnerships are essential to speeding up their completion and improving health infrastructure across the country.
The minister also addressed the persistent “No Bed Syndrome,” describing it as a problem rooted not only in shortages of beds and medical equipment, but also inefficiencies in patient management at some health facilities. Akandoh noted that while many hospitals still struggle with insufficient beds and monitors, another contributing factor is the prolonged stay of patients in emergency wards after receiving initial treatment.
“The beds and monitors are not enough. However, most of this is how some hospitals manage them,” Akandoh stated, adding that patients sometimes occupy emergency beds for more than 24 hours, thereby limiting access for new emergency cases.
To address this, the Ministry of Health is rolling out a real-time bed management system in regional and teaching hospitals to improve patient flow and monitor bed occupancy. “We are now creating visibility in regional hospitals and teaching hospitals through a bed management centre to allow us to track patients who have overstayed in their emergency wards,” Akandoh said.
He expressed confidence that the new system would help hospital administrators identify delays in patient transfers, free up emergency beds more quickly, and ultimately reduce the incidence of the “No Bed Syndrome.”
Akandoh believes that the combined strategy of completing the Agenda 111 hospitals and strengthening hospital bed management will significantly improve healthcare delivery, ensuring that more Ghanaians have timely access to emergency medical care.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com