The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called for the urgent promulgation of an Emergency Care Act to establish a clear policy framework for emergency healthcare delivery and help address the persistent “No Bed Syndrome” in Ghana.

According to the association, the proposed legislation will provide guidelines on how emergency cases should be handled, how patients should be referred and transferred between hospitals, and how emergency services should be funded.

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The GMA President, Professor Ernest Yorke, made the call at the association’s 68th Annual General Conference at Central University, Miotso-Prampram, held under the theme, “No Bed Syndrome: Reimagining a Befitting Emergency Response System for Ghana”.

“The GMA wants the promulgation of an Emergency Care Act as soon as possible. This will set the policy framework and give us a playbook for emergency care in Ghana,” he said.

Professor Yorke explained that the proposed Act could help address the No Bed Syndrome by clearly defining the responsibilities of healthcare facilities and professionals at every stage of emergency care.

The GMA wants the law to protect patients’ access to emergency services by requiring hospitals to provide prompt assessment and initial stabilisation within their capacity, without first demanding an upfront deposit or proof of insurance.

The association also wants the legislation to make referrals safer by requiring hospitals referring patients to contact receiving facilities, confirm their capacity to provide the required care and arrange appropriate transfers.

It further proposed the introduction of a system to provide ambulance teams and clinicians with real-time information on hospitals with available staffed beds, functional equipment and the specialist services required to treat patients.

Professor Yorke also called for safer referral procedures, urging referring teams to contact receiving facilities beforehand to confirm their capacity to provide the required care and arrange appropriate transfers.

“Make referrals safer by ensuring that the referring team contacts the receiving facility to confirm its ability to provide the required care before arranging an appropriate transfer.

“Also, provide healthcare teams with real-time information on available services so that ambulance crews and clinicians can identify facilities with staffed beds, functional equipment and the specialist services needed to treat patients,” he noted.

He also called for the Act to establish minimum standards for emergency care, including the staffing, equipment and services expected at different levels of healthcare delivery.

On funding, the association wants the legislation to provide a clear basis for reimbursing hospitals and ambulance services for emergency care and patient transfers, including cases involving people who cannot afford to pay.

It also wants clear accountability arrangements to determine who is responsible at each stage of emergency care, from ambulance dispatch to the handover of patients at hospitals.

The association believes that information on response times and referral delays should also guide investment in underserved districts to reduce geographical disparities in access to emergency services.

Beyond the proposed legislation, the GMA raised concerns about the shortage of emergency physicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in the country.

“Yesterday, during the Scientific Session, we were told that there is a critical shortage of emergency physicians, emergency nurses, emergency medical technicians, otherwise called EMTs vis-à-vis the population of Ghana,” he said.



He called for increased training and deployment of these professionals, alongside supportive supervision and improved working conditions to enable them to provide safe care.

The association also stressed the need to strengthen healthcare facilities outside major cities and improve communication among referring hospitals, ambulance teams and receiving facilities.

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“We must pay attention to the facilities outside our major centres. Strengthening their ability to assess, stabilise and manage emergencies can make an enormous difference to the patient who would otherwise face a long journey before receiving help,” he added.



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