No Bed Syndrome in Ghana: Time for Health System Redesign, Not Just Reform

The recurring phenomenon popularly described as “No Bed Syndrome” continues to expose fundamental weaknesses in Ghana’s hospital system. It refers to the inability of a patient to obtain prompt hospital admission or emergency care because health facilities report no capacity. While the problem has existed for many years as a structural health-system challenge—driven by shortages of beds, overcrowding, referral inefficiencies, and weak emergency coordination—the term gained national prominence...

By Isaac Yeboah