🇬🇭GhanaWest Africa
Ghana Medical Association urges emergency healthcare system overhaul after Amissah report
via GhanaWeb1 min read
The Ghana Medical Association GMA has reiterated its call for significant reforms in Ghana's emergency healthcare system following the release of a report on the death of engineer Charles Amissah. The association warns that without addressing deep-rooted structural problems in health facilities, more lives will be lost. Dr. Dan Anane-Frimpong, Deputy General Secretary of the GMA, stated on the Asaase Breakfast show on Friday, April 8, 2026, that Charles Amissah's death is not an isolated incident and that the country continues to face long-standing issues, indicating a lack of systemic redesign. Dr. Anane-Frimpong identified critical weaknesses including a shortage of emergency beds, insufficient staff, and poor inter-hospital coordination. He highlighted the severe situation in the Greater Accra Region, which has approximately six million people but only about 200 emergency beds, significantly below the required capacity. He advocated for a modern, integrated electronic bed management system to improve collaboration between ambulances and hospitals, noting that the absence of such a system leads to ambulances transporting patients between facilities in search of space, often with fatal outcomes. The GMA also advocates for dedicated funding for emergency care to ensure that no patient is denied treatment due to an inability to pay upfront, emphasizing that emergency healthcare should not be contingent on a patient's financial status.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
Must ReadDuring the cross-examination of the fourth prosecution witness in the trial of former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene, an Economic and Organised Crime Office EOCO investigator, Frank Marshall Cromwell, testified that an invoice presented by Adu-Boahene for a GH¢49.1 million cyber defense system was fake. Cromwell stated that only about GH¢9.5 million was paid to ISC Holdings, the Israeli firm intended to supply the system, despite the full GH¢49.1 million being transferred for the transaction. The investigator also told the court that after the account holding the money was depleted, Adu-Boahene and his wife, Angella Adjei-Boateng, instructed their bankers to close the accounts and transfer remaining funds to Advantage Solutions, a company they own. Adu-Boahene, Adjei-Boateng, and their company face 11 charges for allegedly transferring GH¢49 million from the bureau's account to their personal accounts. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, previously stated that Adu-Boahene was implicated in the unauthorized transfer of $7 million, allocated for cybersecurity infrastructure, into his private accounts. Dr Ayine detailed that Adu-Boahene signed a contract with RLC Holdings Limited for a cyber defense system software for $7 million, and days later, transferred an initial GH¢27,100,000 from the National Signals Bureau account to a private BNC account at UMB, which he transferred to his private company. Investigations reportedly
Must ReadThe National Disaster Management Organisation NADMO has reported 18 fatalities across 13 districts in Ghana's Central Region due to recent floods, mudslides, landslides, and building collapses. Over 5,000 people have been affected, and 377 individuals are internally displaced after 58 buildings were destroyed. Kwesi Dawood, Central Regional Director of NADMO, stated that a comprehensive needs assessment is underway in the affected communities. NADMO's emergency relief supplies are depleted from continuous flood incidents since May, prompting an appeal for urgent donations from corporate entities, non-governmental organisations, faith-based groups, and private individuals. To prevent waterborne diseases, NADMO is collaborating with the Hydrological Authority, National Security, Environmental Health Departments, and the Ghana Health Service to fumigate areas where floodwaters inundated cemeteries. Dawood also acknowledged the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service for their roles in emergency response and rescue operations.
The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has launched an Integrated Mass Drug Administration campaign to combat Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, and Schistosomiasis. This free, house-to-house initiative will run from June 20 to July 3, 2026, across nine selected districts, under the theme: “Onchocerciasis is preventable and treatable. STOP the stigma.” The campaign is part of a nationwide effort to eliminate neglected tropical diseases as a public health concern in Ghana by 2030. Dr. Fred Adomako Boateng, the Ashanti Regional Health Director, highlighted the urgency by presenting data on cases treated between 2021 and 2025, noting a rise in Onchocerciasis cases to 160 in 2025 and 401 Schistosomiasis cases in the same year. Health workers will administer Ivermectin for Onchocerciasis and Praziquantel for Schistosomiasis, with both drugs being safe, effective, and free. Dosage will be determined by height, with eligible individuals 90 cm or taller receiving Ivermectin and those 94 cm or taller receiving Praziquantel. The mass drug administration targets individuals aged five years and above, excluding children under five and pregnant women. Dr. Boateng assured the public that mild, temporary side effects are normal and indicate the medication's effectiveness.