Frank Asiedu Bekoe aka Protozoa
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Suhum, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, has urged the government to prioritise investment in healthcare infrastructure over the construction of additional markets, arguing that lives are being lost because critical health facilities along major highways remain inadequate.
Speaking in an interaction with the media, the MP expressed concern over the increasing number of road traffic accidents on the Accra-Kumasi Highway, particularly along the Suhum stretch, which he described as a major death trap.
According to him, the highway has over the years recorded countless accidents that have resulted in numerous deaths and life-altering injuries, placing enormous pressure on the Suhum Government Hospital.
Mr. Asiedu Bekoe explained that although the hospital was originally established to serve residents of Suhum, its location along one of the country’s busiest highways has transformed it into a major referral centre for road crash victims travelling between Accra and Kumasi, and beyond.
“As a result, many people who are not residents of Suhum but are involved in accidents on the highway, are brought to the hospital for treatment,” he said.
The MP therefore called on the government to expand the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Centre to enable it to effectively respond to the growing number of trauma cases.
He noted that doctors, nurses and other health professionals at the facility were working under immense pressure due to the high volume of accident victims.
“Anytime you visit the hospital, you see patients lying on the floor because there is inadequate space. The hospital was not designed as an accident and trauma centre, yet it is handling a significant number of emergency cases,” he said.
Mr. Asiedu Bekoe advocated the establishment of a special programme to strengthen hospitals situated along the Accra-Kumasi-Tamale-Bolgatanga highway corridor, arguing that such facilities play a critical role in saving lives following road crashes.
To support his call, the MP disclosed that the Suhum Government Hospital handled about 400 accident cases between January and May this year alone.
He said the facility recorded 104 accident cases in January, 84 in February, 134 in March, 42 in April and 30 in May.
In addition, he revealed that 40 patients had to be referred to other health facilities because of capacity constraints.
Mr. Asiedu Bekoe described the statistics as alarming and said the increasing number of accident victims was stretching the hospital’s resources and affecting the delivery of healthcare services.
“When patients are brought in with severe injuries and deep wounds, healthcare workers naturally have to prioritise those emergency cases ahead of patients suffering from conditions such as malaria and diarrhoea,” he explained.
The MP said the situation demonstrated the urgent need for government intervention to improve emergency healthcare services in the area.
He criticised what he described as the government’s preference for market projects at the expense of healthcare infrastructure, insisting that access to quality healthcare should take precedence over additional commercial facilities.
“Health must come first. People should have access to healthcare before we think about adding more markets,” he stressed.
Mr. Asiedu Bekoe revealed that he had raised the matter with the Minister of Health and urged him to advise the government to redirect some resources earmarked for projects under the 24-hour market initiative towards upgrading hospital facilities in distressed communities.
However, he said the minister indicated that any intervention would be subject to the availability of funds in the future.
The MP expressed disappointment with the response, noting that despite the accident statistics presented, there was no commitment to include the expansion of the Suhum Hospital in the 2027 national budget.
He argued that the government’s priorities appeared misplaced, particularly given the existence of several market facilities in Suhum.
“We already have markets in Suhum, including the central market. Why should the government focus on building another market when the hospital urgently needs a facelift to save lives?” he asked.
Mr. Asiedu Bekoe maintained that strengthening emergency healthcare infrastructure along major highways would save lives, reduce referrals and ease the burden on health workers, while ensuring that accident victims receive timely medical attention.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House