‘I have a screen in my office’ – Akandoh on real-time emergency bed tracking

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced the initiation of a real-time electronic system to track emergency beds in select hospitals across Ghana. The initiative aims to enhance the management of limited emergency care resources and address the ongoing shortage of emergency bed availability. The system, which includes a command centre at Ridge Hospital, provides the Minister direct visibility into the situation at participating facilities, allowing him to monitor the availability of emergency beds on a screen in his office.

This screen displays information on the number of beds available, as well as the duration patients have spent in these beds. The pilot program currently covers regional hospitals and teaching hospitals. The data collected by the system will enable authorities to monitor the duration patients remain in emergency beds, prompting the command centre to inquire about cases where patients have been in emergency beds for extended periods.

While the technology is not intended to immediately add more beds, it is expected to improve the utilization of existing beds. The government is also pursuing the physical expansion of emergency facilities at Komfo Anokye, Tamale, Korle Bu, and the 37 Military Hospital. At Korle Bu, a major expansion project is underway, resulting in the construction of a 400-bed facility within the hospital premises.

Additionally, all participating facilities have fitted their beds with barcodes to support the tracking system, with dedicated commanders to input data in real-time. Ambulance services are being integrated into the system, allowing ambulance personnel to access the system upon picking up patients and identifying the appropriate treatment facility.

So far, over 200 ambulances are operational, with plans to add 100 new ambulances to the fleet in 2027.