Dr. Kingsley Agyemang has delivered a firm moral rebuke following the tragic circumstances surrounding the alleged refusal of emergency care at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, stating that no healthcare professional has the moral authority to turn away a critically ill patient.
While refraining from prejudging the outcome of investigations, the Health Committee member stressed that professional duty must prevail in moments of crisis.“Emergency healthcare is not optional. It is the foundation upon which public trust in the health system rests,” he said in his statement to Parliament.
He warned that Ghana’s emergency care challenges are systemic but insisted that systemic pressure cannot excuse preventable loss of life. “An emergency service that lacks operational vehicles cannot meet its statutory mandate,” he noted, referencing data that nearly 40 percent of ambulances are currently non-operational.
According to Dr. Agyemang, the broader emergency crisis must be addressed through operational efficiency and accountability.
“The emergency crisis must therefore be addressed through a comprehensive systems reform approach grounded in operational efficiency and accountability,” he stated.
He called for strengthened oversight and measurable performance indicators, including ambulance response times and emergency admission rates, to ensure that healthcare professionals are supported but also held to clear standards.
“When ambulances fail to respond promptly or hospitals are unable to admit critically ill patients, the consequences extend beyond statistics. They are measured in preventable deaths and erosion of public confidence,” he warned.
