Ghana’s Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has called for urgent accountability following reports that a victim of a hit-and-run accident was allegedly turned away by three major hospitals because of a lack of bed space.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Ayariga said the incident, which has reignited debate over emergency care in the country, points to deeper systemic failings within the health sector.
“I speak as somebody who was kept alive because the emergency ward of a hospital worked for me, and it must work for everybody,” he told lawmakers.
The case has drawn comparisons to previous public outcries over the so-called “no bed syndrome”—a term used in Ghana when critically ill patients are reportedly refused admission due to capacity constraints. Mr Ayariga questioned how an accident victim could be transferred from hospital to hospital without receiving immediate treatment.
“In some jurisdictions, there would have been public outrage that an accident victim was moved from hospital to hospital and medical personnel refused to treat it as an emergency,” he said.
He described the development as troubling and reflective of broader concerns about discipline, accountability and respect for human life.
Calls for accountability
The Majority Leader urged Parliament to ensure the matter does not fade without consequences, referencing a similar incident in 2018 and questioning whether any officials were held responsible at the time.
“What happened? What did we do?” he asked, warning that failure to act would embolden future negligence.
The government has since announced the formation of a committee to investigate the latest case. However, Mr Ayariga called on Parliament’s Health Committee to closely monitor the process and report back to the House.
“If we are not satisfied with the outcome and the conclusions of the government, then Parliament must take very drastic action,” he said. He added that citizens expect lawmakers to defend their rights and safeguard their lives, stressing that effective emergency healthcare should be accessible to all Ghanaians.
