The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, is calling for the establishment of a robust emergency governance framework, including a dedicated authority to oversee emergency healthcare delivery in Ghana.
Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on Ghana’s emergency care crisis on Thursday, April 2, she said the absence of clear governance and coordination continues to undermine efforts to improve emergency response systems.
“So, what we actually need to do is we must have a strong emergency governance framework and probably have an emergency authority,” she said.
She criticised the cycle of forming committees after major incidents, noting that while reports are produced and recommendations made, implementation often stalls until another tragedy occurs.
“We talk and talk, and the conversation dies down, until a prominent person loses their life. But in between, many Ghanaians are dying, lives that could have been saved,” she said.
According to her, a dedicated emergency authority with oversight responsibility would ensure continuity, accountability, and sustained action in strengthening emergency care systems.
“..Without governance, we cannot actually drive emergency health care.”
She further highlighted weaknesses in pre-hospital care, particularly within the ambulance system, describing it as inadequate and under-resourced.
She stressed that ambulances should be equipped not only with emergency medical technicians but also with advanced life-saving equipment and, where possible, specialist personnel capable of delivering critical care en route to health facilities.
The GRNMA President also pointed to poor coordination and weak referral systems as major challenges, alongside limited human resource capacity in emergency and critical care.
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