Medical-legal claims against Ghana Health Service hit GH¢400m in three years

Medical-legal claims against the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have escalated to an estimated GH¢400 million over the past three years, affecting 173 cases recorded between 2023 and 2025. These claims revolve around allegations of medical negligence, incorrect or delayed diagnoses, treatment or medication errors, insufficient informed consent, and injury or death resulting from substandard care.

Dr Caroline Reindorf Amissah, Deputy Director-General of the GHS, revealed this during the launch of a five-day legal training program for the GHS's legal officers in Accra. She highlighted that the number of cases has surged from 40 in 2023 to 89 in 2025, which poses considerable financial and reputational risks to healthcare delivery.

If this trend persists, the financial strain could become substantial, and public confidence in the health system could be undermined. Dr Amissah emphasized that persistent medical-legal disputes could tarnish the reputation of healthcare institutions and erode public trust. She suggested that some referral hospitals were increasingly viewed as "death traps" due to frequent admissions of severely ill patients.

Dr Amissah advocated for increased public awareness regarding early healthcare utilization to prevent complications and enhance treatment outcomes. She urged healthcare workers to honor patients' rights and ensure that proposed treatments and procedures were thoroughly explained. Dr Amissah emphasized that the GHS's goal should be not merely to reduce the number of lawsuits but to identify and rectify preventable failures that lead to legitimate claims.

Mr Zanu Dassah, Head of Legal at the GHS, stated that the training is part of the Service's efforts to tackle the rising number of medical-legal cases. He said the GHS is devising guidelines for implementation across the health system to adopt a proactive approach to medical-legal issues. "We need to be proactive and ensure that we have proper medical-legal surveillance in the system," he said.

Dr Gina Teddy, a member of the GHS Council, noted that healthcare delivery is no longer solely a clinical responsibility; health institutions must also comply with legal and ethical standards, governance structures, and administrative procedures. Dr Teddy highlighted that growing patient awareness has transformed the dynamic between healthcare providers and patients.

"Patients are no longer passive; they are no longer just consumers -- they are empowered," she said. Dr Teddy emphasized that many patients now research their conditions before visiting healthcare facilities, making it crucial for healthcare institutions and professionals to comprehend and uphold patients' rights. She said the training would bolster legal officers' capacity to identify and manage medical-legal risks before they escalate into disputes.