GRNMA Raises Alarm Over ‘No-Bed Syndrome’, Demands Urgent National Emergency Declaration

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has sounded a strong warning over the deepening “no-bed syndrome” crisis, describing it as a serious national health emergency threatening patient safety and lives across the country.

In a statement, the Association expressed grave concern over worsening conditions in major referral hospitals, particularly the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where growing patient numbers continue to overwhelm already stretched facilities.

The “no-bed syndrome”, the GRNMA explained, reflects the inability of patients to access timely emergency care due to severe bed shortages, often resulting in dangerous delays, compromised treatment, and, in some cases, preventable deaths.

According to the Association, frontline reports from hospitals across Ghana paint a troubling picture. Critically ill patients are frequently left waiting for extended periods or treated in unsafe and inappropriate environments due to lack of space, beds, and essential medical resources.

“These circumstances are unacceptable and constitute a significant threat to patient safety, dignity, and survival,” the GRNMA stressed.

The association identified several key factors driving the crisis, including:

• A severe mismatch between patient load and bed capacity
• Overcrowding of tertiary facilities due to weak referral systems
• Inadequate emergency infrastructure and logistics
• Shortage of skilled personnel, especially in critical care
• Poor coordination of ambulance and referral services

Available data, the GRNMA noted, underscores the scale of the challenge. Ghana currently has about 0.7 hospital beds per 1,000 people, far below the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum of 5 beds.

National bed capacity remains constrained, with roughly 19,907 beds recorded as far back as 2015, while occupancy rates in major hospitals are nearing or exceeding full capacity.

In urban centres like Accra and Kumasi, hospitals are operating at 120% to 150% capacity, reflecting extreme overcrowding.

At Korle-Bu alone, the situation is particularly dire, with around 250 daily admissions and over 1,500 outpatient visits, placing enormous strain on emergency services.

The GRNMA emphasised that the crisis goes beyond logistics, describing it as a manifestation of deeper systemic failures within Ghana’s healthcare delivery system.

It warned that the situation undermines Ghana’s commitment to universal health coverage and is placing nurses and midwives under extreme pressure, moral distress, and unsafe working conditions.

“No patient presenting in an emergency should be denied care, regardless of bed availability. Immediate stabilisation is both a professional and ethical obligation,” the association stated.

To address the crisis, the GRNMA is calling on government and health authorities to take immediate and decisive steps, including:

• Declaring the “no-bed syndrome” a national public health emergency
• Expanding emergency and inpatient infrastructure
• Introducing a real-time national bed tracking system
• Strengthening referral systems to reduce pressure on tertiary hospitals
• Increasing recruitment and retention of healthcare workers
• Investing in ambulance services and emergency response systems
• Enforcing strict emergency care protocols to ensure no patient is turned away without stabilisation
• Establishing accountability measures, including investigations into recent incidents

The association urged policymakers, healthcare managers, civil society, and the public to recognise the urgency of the situation and support coordinated action.

“Ghana’s healthcare system cannot continue to operate beyond safe capacity while patients suffer avoidable harm,” the GRNMA cautioned.

It concluded that protecting patient dignity and ensuring safe working conditions for healthcare professionals must become an immediate national priority.

Click the link Puretvonline.com | WhatsApp Channel to join the WhatsApp channel

GOT A STORY?

Contact/WhatsApp: +233243201960 or manuelnkansah33@gmail.com