Kwame Asiedu Sarpong is a Development personnel in Health at CDD-Ghana
Democracy and Development personnel in Health at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Kwame Asiedu Sarpong, has condemned the persistent neglect of Ghana’s healthcare system, insisting that the crisis goes beyond bed shortages and reflects a fundamental breakdown of the sector.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on February 24, 2026, Sarpong said stakeholders and political leaders have repeatedly ignored warnings about the deteriorating state of the health sector.
His comments follow the tragic death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah, who reportedly died after being transferred between three major hospitals in Accra due to lack of beds at the facilities.
He referenced key reports, including the 2023 Health Harmonization Assessment and a 2011 policy document, which highlighted the need for urgent reforms in the sector.
“The problem is not a bed problem. It’s a systems and people’s problem. We’ve diagnosed the issues, but we’ve refused to intervene,” he said, emphasising the need for decisive action.
He stressed that structural weaknesses flagged in multiple reports have repeatedly been ignored.
“The Health Harmonisation Assessment Report was a diagnosis of the health of our health system. When the diagnosis told us our health system was very, very sick, we did nothing about it,” Sarpong said.
With regards to hospital capacity, he noted: “It’s not just about where the beds are. It’s about the resources and the right medical expertise at each facility. If a hospital has a bed but lacks the proper expertise or equipment, sending a patient there is as dangerous as not having a bed at all.”
While acknowledging disciplinary action against healthcare workers in the recent case, Sarpong argued that the focus should be on systemic reform rather than singling out persons for blame.
“We can’t keep sweeping these problems under the rug. If we don’t address the root causes, the cycle will repeat itself,” he cautioned.
He also criticised the slow adoption of technology, particularly the absence of a real-time bed availability dashboard that he has advocated since 2019.
Sarpong describes the crisis as a collective failure.
“We have mutual negligence at all levels, politicians, health managers, and even the citizens. Everyone is turning a blind eye, and people are dying as a result. We need to stop looking for someone to blame and start fixing the system,” he stated, calling for urgent action before more lives are lost.
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com