Ghana’s hospital bed ratio stands at 0.9 per 1,000, below WHO standard- Titus Beyuo

Ghana currently has just 0.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people, a figure significantly below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended range of 2 to 5 beds per 1,000 population, Professor Titus Beyuo, Board Chairman of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, has disclosed.

He mentioned this on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday, March 24, while highlighting the persistent challenge of “no bed syndrome” in major hospitals nationwide.

“The WHO estimates that hospitals should have at least 2 to 5 beds per thousand of the population. Ghana is doing under 0.9 beds per thousand population, so structurally we have a challenge, functionally, we also have a challenge,” he mentioned.

The discussion was on the recent incident at Korle-Bu, where the unavailability of beds contributed to the death of an accident victim, underscoring the urgent need for investment in the country’s health infrastructure.

Read also: ‘No bed syndrome,’ and how a hit-and-run victim was refused emergency care by Ridge, Police, Korle Bu hospitals for close to 3 hours before he died

Professor Beyuo called for enhanced planning and resource allocation to improve hospital capacity and ensure timely access to care for all Ghanaians.

Read also: Korle-Bu Board Chairman cites under-investment as cause of ‘no bed syndrome’