Kwaku Agyeman-Manu – Minister of Health
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has charged the Ministry of Health (MoH) to implement the accident and emergency services guidelines developed in 2011.
“The ministry should enforce its policy guidelines on emergency care and discourage referrals from low level health facilities to tertiary care centers directly without going through the agreed level of care,” a GMA statement said.
Reaction to the situation where a 70-year-old-man lost his life after seven hospitals in Accra refused him emergency care, the GMA pointed out that the no ‘bed syndrome’ is a constellation of both largely systemic and in some occasion individual factors.
The GMA indicated that addressing the systemic issues which include non-‘functional’ and ill-equipped emergency departments, improper referral/feedback systems and inadequate ambulance, limited bed capacities for emergency care, deficiencies in bed management systems and patient flow in hospitals, inadequate number of trained ER professionals and upfront payment for emergency services rendered would go a long way in addressing the situation.
They also cited personal factors, including poor attitude of health personnel and frustration of the ill-motivated and understaffed health workers, as contributory factors to the unfortunate situation that has plagued the country for a long time.
The association, thus, proposed an increase in funding for the health sector and emergency services in particular, expansion of emergency services and training of emergency health personnel.
“Internal policy and MoH guidelines must be strengthened so that payment would not be required before emergencies are rendered,” the statement signed by Dr Titus Beyuo, Assistant General Secretary, read.
The GMA also called on the private sector to expend their emergency services.
“There must be improved linkages and referral systems between health facilities. Currently, the private sector offers minimal emergency services,” it read.
The association expressed the belief that the implementation of the policy guidelines on emergency care would go a long way in addressing these identified problems.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri