A committee set up to investigate the death of 29-year-old engineer, Charles Amissah, has concluded that failures by medical personnel at the Police Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge) and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital directly contributed to his death on February 6.
Presenting the findings of the “No Bed Syndrome” Committee to the Ministry of Health in Accra on Wednesday, May 6, Chairman of the committee, Agyeman Badu Akosa, revealed that Amissah died from severe blood loss caused by a deep injury to his upper right arm which damaged critical blood vessels, including the axillary arteries and veins.
According to Prof. Akosa, the committee determined that the young engineer’s death was preventable and could have been avoided at several points if emergency medical procedures had been properly administered.
The report stated that immediate compression and dressing of the wound either at the scene of the incident or during ambulance transport could have significantly reduced the bleeding. It further noted that administering intravenous fluids while transporting the patient would have helped maintain blood circulation and increased his chances of survival.
The committee also found that life-saving interventions such as intravenous fluid administration and blood transfusion could have been carried out at any of the hospitals that received the patient.
The report highlighted major shortcomings within the National Ambulance Service, including inadequate documentation of vital signs, limited emergency intervention capacity, and malfunctioning monitoring equipment that hampered efforts to properly assess the patient during transit.
Prof. Akosa noted that although ambulance personnel were able to monitor blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels, they lacked the equipment and training required to provide advanced emergency care.
The committee further cited poor coordination among healthcare facilities and the absence of a proper patient handover system, which resulted in delays and uncertainty over transfer responsibilities.
According to the findings, the ambulance arrived at the Police Hospital with Charles Amissah still alive, but no effective triage or stabilisation measures were undertaken before the ambulance departed approximately 11 minutes later.
A similar situation reportedly occurred at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, where the patient again arrived alive but left after nearly 17 minutes without receiving adequate emergency intervention.
At the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the committee found that no immediate stabilisation was provided despite the patient showing signs of life upon arrival. Although ambulance personnel were later instructed to transfer him to the University of Ghana Medical Centre, the directive was reportedly not followed.
The patient eventually died inside the ambulance nearly 70 minutes after entering the hospital environment.
The report also criticised ambulance personnel for inconsistencies in recording and reporting vital signs and stated that many lacked training in basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, and trauma life support.
Prof. Akosa said the ambulance teams largely functioned as transport providers rather than emergency medical responders.
Several healthcare professionals were also cited in the report for failing to provide urgent medical care to the patient despite the life-threatening nature of his condition.
Those named include Dr Anne-Marie Kudowor of the Police Hospital, Dr Nina Naomi Eyram Adotevi of Ridge Hospital, Dr Ida Druant and Dr Genevieve Adjar of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, as well as Miss Akosua B. Turkson, Miss Joy Daisy Nelson, and Ms Salamatu Alhassan Aidoo.
The committee concluded that medical staff on duty across the three hospitals failed to provide timely intervention, leading to what it described as an avoidable death.
Beyond the findings, the committee proposed major reforms aimed at strengthening emergency healthcare delivery, improving patient triage systems, and addressing persistent challenges associated with Ghana’s “No Bed Syndrome.”
It also recommended sweeping disciplinary actions against individuals found culpable in the case.
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