No bed syndrome “unacceptable” – Mahama warns hospitals after engineer’s tragic death

President John Dramani Mahama has issued a high-level executive directive to all health facilities across Ghana, strictly prohibiting the rejection of emergency patients under the guise of the “no-bed syndrome.”

The President’s mandate, delivered during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday, 27th February 2026, serves as a direct response to a recent medical tragedy that has sparked national outrage.

The President’s intervention follows the harrowing death of Charles Amissah, a 29-year-old engineer with Promasidor Ghana Limited. Amissah lost his life after being denied admission by three separate hospitals following a hit-and-run accident at the Circle Overpass in Accra on 6th February 2026.

Despite being stabilised by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel following severe shoulder and internal injuries, Mr Amissah was allegedly turned away by multiple facilities claiming a lack of available beds. The young engineer’s death has become a symbol of systemic failure within the Ghanaian secondary and tertiary healthcare sectors.

Addressing a sombre Parliament, President Mahama characterised the persistent “no-bed” excuse as an unacceptable breach of professional and ethical duty.

“Patients facing medical emergencies must be received and given healthcare, even under makeshift conditions. You don’t need to have a comfortable bed before attending to a patient. No patient must be turned away from any health facility they report to,” the President declared.

To ensure the directive is more than mere rhetoric, the President disclosed that the Ministry of Health is currently drafting stringent new guidelines to criminalise or penalise the refusal of emergency cases. He emphasised that saving lives must take precedence over administrative comfort.

The President also utilised the SONA to provide an update on the government’s aggressive hospital expansion projects designed to provide a permanent solution to the capacity crisis:

• Ridge Hospital (Phase Two): Capacity expansion at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital is being fast-tracked to increase immediate bed numbers.
• La General Hospital: Work is continuing on the total redevelopment of this key coastal facility.
• Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH): The long-awaited maternity block is nearing completion to ease congestion in the Ashanti Region.
• Police Hospital Project: Ongoing construction aims to bolster emergency response capabilities within the capital.

The President’s tone remained firm as he reminded health administrators that the “no-bed syndrome” is a fixable administrative hurdle rather than a valid medical reason for neglect.

“The so-called ‘no-bed syndrome’ is unacceptable,” he stated, adding that the state will no longer tolerate situations where citizens die at the gates of public institutions funded by their own taxes.

As the Ministry of Health prepares to roll out the new enforcement framework, the President’s directive has put hospital boards on high alert. The death of Charles Amissah appears to have been the final catalyst for a total overhaul of Ghana’s emergency response.