Korle Bu emergency cases surge from 70 to over 100 daily

The Accident and Emergency Department at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has seen a significant increase in daily patient attendance, rising from approximately 50 to more than 100 cases. Head of the department, Dr Henry Bulley, stated that the hospital's 50-bed capacity is now regularly exceeding its limit, with numbers sometimes surpassing 100 patients per day.

Dr Bulley highlighted a variety of reasons for this surge, including rising trauma cases, non-trauma cases, and an uptick in severe complications like strokes, diabetic issues, and kidney diseases. He noted that most of these emergency cases are being referred from specialized units, except for women in labor and children with non-trauma medical conditions.

Dr Bulley expressed growing concern over the increasing number of medical emergencies, particularly strokes and severe kidney injuries, where patients were arriving unconscious. He suggested that factors such as illegal mining activities, and the consumption of food and water from various parts of the country, might be contributing to the trend.

The department recorded 7,781 emergency patient attendances by the end of June 2026, a notable increase from 7,108 in the same period in 2025, 7,910 in 2024, and 7,362 in 2023. Road traffic accidents accounted for 553 of these attendances, or 7.11%, in 2026, up from 379 (5.33%) in 2025, 368 (4.65%) in 2024, and 384 (5.22%) in 2023.

Despite the rise in accident cases, Dr Bulley noted that improvements in emergency care have led to a reduction in accident-related deaths. By the end of June 2026, there were 10 recorded deaths from accidents, representing a mortality rate of 1.81%, down from 7 in 2025 (1.85%), 12 in 2024 (3.26%), and 7 in 2023 (1.82%). Dr Bulley attributed these improvements to an increased number of emergency physicians and specialized emergency nurses, who are better equipped to stabilize critically injured patients and improve survival rates.

He pointed out that festive periods, public holidays, and school vacations are peak times for emergency cases. During these times, higher rates of injuries, crashes, and risky behaviors are reported due to increased travel, alcohol consumption, and unsafe driving practices. Dr Bulley called for intensified road safety education and preventive measures to reduce injuries and alleviate the burden on emergency departments nationwide.