The Ashanti Regional Command of the National Ambulance Service has raised concerns over the persistent “no-bed syndrome” in major health facilities across the region, warning that it is a major obstacle to effective emergency response.
According to the Service, ambulance teams are increasingly forced to spend long hours transferring critically ill patients from one hospital to another in search of available beds, delaying urgent care and straining emergency resources.
Speaking to Citi News on Wednesday, February 11, Ashanti Regional Manager, Deputy Chief Advanced Medical Emergency Technologist Sommik Miilon Duut said the situation hampers their ability to respond to other emergencies, as ambulances and paramedics often remain tied up at hospitals, unable to admit referred patients.
“The main concern is the receiving facility. You bring the patient, and they tell you there is no space. For instance, at Komfo Anokye, the place is overwhelmed. In such instances, the ambulance is engaged at the hospital, making it difficult to respond to pre-hospital emergencies in the constituency.
“If peripheral hospitals were better equipped, they could manage some cases and reduce the burden on us,” he explained.
He also lamented the growing misuse of the emergency response system by some members of the public, describing the trend as worrying.
