Dr Bright Tato Forkuo, a medical officer, has expressed concerns over systemic challenges in Ghana's emergency healthcare systems.

According to him, delays in providing care to patients in emergency situations are caused by bureaucratic procedures at hospitals and resource constraints.

"I was asking myself, so could my colleagues who were on duty on that day just jump onto the ambulance and try to help? Right. I called a colleague in KBTH and was telling me the bureaucracy there is so much so that even if the doctor had jumped onto the ambulance or a nurse had jumped onto the ambulance, there was little he could have done.

Korle Bu interdicts two doctors, two nurses

"Most of the time when a patient comes in, the patient has to be put onto the hospital system. The patient has to be admitted first. I was even told there are some places even to get a sample bottle to take blood from the patient and send it to the lab. There's a whole procedure that relatives or whoever brought the patient must go through before a sample can even be collected and sent for testing," he noted in a recent interview on 3FM

Dr Forkuo stressed the need for urgent reforms.

“If this is how we are going to go as a country, then we are far behind. I think something should be done as soon as possible", he added.

Korle Bu hides identities of four interdicted staff

His comments come in the wake of a tragic incident involving 29-year-old Charles Amissah, an engineer with Promasidor Ghana Limited, who sustained severe shoulder injuries in a hit-and-run accident at the Circle Overpass in Accra on February 6, 2026.

Amissah was stabilised by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel and prepared for transfer to a hospital for further treatment.

Reports indicate that Amissah was unable to secure admission at three hospitals due to a lack of available beds.

While at Korle Bu, he reportedly went into cardiac arrest. Despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) being administered, efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was later pronounced dead.

In response to public outrage, management of KBTH has interdicted two doctors and two nurses in connection with the alleged refusal to provide emergency treatment.
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The staff members have been temporarily relieved of their duties pending investigations. A committee has been set up to conduct a full inquiry into the incident and determine whether established emergency care protocols were breached, and all personnel linked to the case have been directed to cooperate.

The hospital has reaffirmed its commitment to accountability and pledged to update the public once the investigations are concluded.

Listen to Dr Forkuo's remarks in the video below:

@3fm927

Bureaucracy in Korle Bu - Even if a nurse or a doctor gets on the ambulance there is little he/she can do... - Dr Bright Tato Forkuo (Medical Officer) || No Bed Syndrome #3FM927 #3FMSunrise #3NewsGH

♬ original sound - #3FM927