Veteran journalist and former Managing News Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has raised alarm over what he describes as a troubling rise in attacks on healthcare workers as Ghana’s public hospitals struggle with the long-running “No Bed Syndrome.”
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV, hosted by Moro Awudu, Pratt said frustration over the persistent shortage of hospital beds is boiling over, putting nurses and doctors at risk.
“I’m getting worried about the attack on nurses and doctors,” he said, pointing to reports of confrontations in major health facilities.
According to him, the worsening bed shortage is not only compromising patient care but also creating tense situations between families and frontline staff.
The discussion focused on the “No Bed Syndrome,” a term widely used to describe chronic overcrowding in public hospitals, where patients are left waiting in corridors, emergency units and even ambulances because wards are full.
Recent incidents at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Greater Accra Regional Hospital were cited as examples, with reports of relatives clashing with health workers over delays and limited space.
Pratt said healthcare workers are bearing the brunt of a systemic problem they did not create. “Healthcare workers are on the front lines, risking their lives daily, yet they are being attacked,” he noted.
He also shared a personal experience from some years back, when he sought treatment at a hospital but had to be attended to outside a theatre room because there was no available space.
He said the nurses and doctors involved were later punished over the situation, despite working under obvious constraints.
Pratt called on the government to treat the bed shortage as a national emergency. He urged authorities to invest in hospital infrastructure, expand capacity and consider deploying mobile health units to ease pressure on overstretched facilities.
For him, the crisis goes beyond inconvenience. He warned that without urgent intervention, the combination of overcrowding and public frustration could further erode safety in hospitals, leaving both patients and healthcare workers vulnerable.
Nana Akua Amponsah || Metro Digital
