Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh announced on Joy News’ PM Express that the government has begun piloting a real‑time electronic system to track emergency beds in selected regional and teaching hospitals. The initiative seeks to improve management of scarce emergency care resources and address the long‑standing “no bed” challenge.
Mr Akandoh explained that a command centre has been set up at Ridge Hospital to monitor bed availability. He said the system gives him direct visibility of the situation at participating facilities, noting that a screen in his office displays real‑time data. “If Kolebu says there’s no bed, I’m able to see how many beds are available, how many patients are in the emergency,” he said.
The pilot currently covers selected regional hospitals and teaching hospitals. The system will allow authorities to monitor how long patients remain in emergency beds and to question cases where patients stay beyond 24 hours. Mr Akandoh stressed that the technology is not intended to create additional beds immediately but to ensure existing beds are used more efficiently.
Alongside the digital system, the government is pursuing physical expansion of emergency facilities at Komfo Anokye, Tamale, Korle‑Bu and the 37 Military Hospital. At Korle‑Bu, the emergency unit currently has about 67 beds out of more than 1,000 total, and a 400‑bed facility is being constructed as part of a wider redevelopment project.
Bed barcodes have been fitted in participating facilities to support the tracking system, and ambulance services are also being integrated. More than 200 ambulances are currently operational, with plans to add 100 new vehicles to the fleet in 2027.
Officials say the pilot will provide data to help manage scarce resources, ensuring patients are not left on a bed for extended periods and that beds are allocated efficiently across the network.
