No-bed-syndrome: Patient should be stabilised first before any determination is made – Tony Goodman

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Tony Goodman, has firmly stated that no patient should be told there is “no bed” at a health facility without a proper medical assessment by an authorised professional.

Speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5 FM on February 25 with host Chief Jerry Forson, Mr Goodman made it clear that it is unacceptable for security personnel or unauthorised staff to turn patients away from hospitals.

He stressed that only qualified health professionals with the requisite authority can determine whether a facility has the capacity to admit a patient. Any decision regarding admission, referral, or transfer, he said, must follow a clinical assessment.

Mr Goodman underscored that in emergency situations, the immediate responsibility of a health facility is to stabilise the patient before considering issues of bed space or referral.

“There is no justification for simply telling a patient there is no bed. A responsible medical officer must assess the patient. At the very least, the patient must be stabilised before any further decision is taken,” he said.

He pointed out that patients who are turned away often have no immediate alternatives, as there may be no nearby facility or available doctor to attend to them. For this reason, he emphasised that health institutions must prioritise immediate care and ensure that a patient’s condition is properly managed before arranging any transfer.

Addressing long term measures, Mr Goodman revealed that the Ministry is working to close critical gaps in specialised healthcare delivery. He announced plans to roll out new training programmes aimed at strengthening capacity in key areas.

According to him, the Ministry will soon advertise opportunities for nurses to undergo specialised training in oncology, critical care, emergency care, nephrology and other essential fields.

He acknowledged that the health system has historically focused on training general nurses, but said the current priority is to expand the pool of specialised professionals to improve emergency response and patient outcomes.

“We have not trained enough specialists in these areas over the years. What we mostly have are general nurses. Now we want to specialise many of them so that when critical issues arise, they are well equipped to respond,” he added.