Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has stated that disciplinary action against health workers implicated in Charles Amissah's death is still possible. Akandoh made this statement on Joy News' PM Express on Wednesday, October 7. He mentioned that doctors and other health professionals implicated in Amissah's case could still face sanctions as institutions work through the recommendations of a committee set up to investigate the circumstances around his death.
The Amissah case drew national attention after it became emblematic of Ghana's so-called "no bed syndrome," in which patients in need of urgent care are turned away or delayed because emergency units report no available beds. Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, one of Ghana's largest referral facilities with a total bed capacity exceeding 1,000, runs an emergency unit with just 67 beds — a gap Akandoh says contributed to the kind of delay that cost Charles Amissah his life.
Akandoh acknowledged that the process of sanctioning implicated staff has dragged on, but said this was partly because some cases carry what he described as legal nuances that have complicated matters. He maintained that government remains committed to following through on the committee's findings, saying, "We are implementing the recommendations of the committee."
According to Akandoh, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has already reached conclusions on its disciplinary recommendations, though he did not disclose the specific outcomes. The minister insisted that all individuals involved remain subject to the laws of Ghana.
As part of the response to the Amissah case, Akandoh said government is planning to expand emergency capacity at Korle-Bu, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital and 37 Military Hospital. At Korle-Bu specifically, the expansion is expected to form part of a wider redevelopment project that includes a 400-bed facility, along with a mother-and-child centre, fertility centre, theatres, intensive care units and car parks — what Akandoh called a "hospital within a hospital."
The expansion push follows closely on other measures the ministry has rolled out in recent weeks. The Ghana Health Service has rolled out a real-time bed tracker designed to end the deadly no-bed syndrome, with a command centre established at Ridge Hospital that gives the ministry visibility over bed occupancy nationwide. Akandoh has said he can now see hospital bed vacancies from his office through a screen linked to the system, which is being piloted in selected regional and teaching hospitals using barcoded beds.
Government has also announced plans to add 100 new ambulances in 2027, on top of the more than 200 currently in service. No firm date has been given for when the emergency ward expansions at the four hospitals will begin or be completed, nor has Akandoh specified when disciplinary outcomes in the Amissah case will be finalised.
Key points
- Disciplinary action against health workers implicated in Charles Amissah's death is still possible.
- Government plans to expand emergency capacity at four major hospitals.
- Ghana Health Service has rolled out a real-time bed tracker to end the "no-bed syndrome."
