The committee set up to investigate the August 17 incident at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital has recommended far-reaching reforms to address security lapses, staff shortages, and critical equipment failures at the facility.
On security, the committee urged the hospital to increase the number of guards at the Emergency Department and ambulance bay, ensure the entrance is always manned, and expand CCTV coverage for better monitoring. It further called for the deployment of police officers, particularly during weekends and night shifts, to support private security.
On staffing, it recommended urgent recruitment of more medical officers, nurses, and client service personnel to ease the overwhelming pressure on existing staff. The report noted that the hospital’s Emergency Department had been running with dangerously low numbers of doctors and nurses, leaving patient care at risk.
On diagnostic capacity, the committee pressed for the immediate repair or replacement of broken imaging equipment, including X-ray, CT scan, and MRI machines, which forced patients to seek services outside the hospital and contributed to delays in care.
Looking beyond Ridge Hospital, the committee called for nationwide health system strengthening. It proposed building more secondary-level facilities across the regions to reduce the burden on major referral hospitals, expanding human resource capacity for emergency care, and providing affordable diagnostic equipment to limit referrals and delays.
It also emphasized the need for continuous public education on how emergency departments function and urged health professionals to strictly adhere to established emergency care protocols.
The Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has received the report and is expected to study the recommendations for implementation.
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