Alban Bagbin is the Speaker of Parliament
The death of hit-and-run victim Charles Amissah has reignited debates in Parliament over Ghana’s long-standing “no-bed syndrome,” with the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, calling for urgent legislation to prevent similar tragedies.
Addressing the House, Speaker Bagbin described Amissah’s passing as a painful and avoidable loss, stressing that the country cannot continue to witness deaths linked to delays or denial of emergency medical care.
He subsequently directed Parliament’s Health Committee to examine the findings of all ongoing investigations into the incident.
As part of the process, he ordered that reports from all relevant institutions, including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the Ministry of Health, be submitted to the committee within two weeks for thorough scrutiny.
“I will direct our Committee on Health to take all the reports that will come from the ministry, the Korle Bu Hospital, or wherever, and go deeply into them.
“We have to take control; we need to inquire further into the matter, and we need to hold people accountable. This is one of the needless deaths we have experienced in this country,” he said.
Beyond investigations, Speaker Alban Bagbin emphasised the need for a long-term solution.
He argued that the absence of a clear legal framework governing emergency medical care continues to expose vulnerable patients to life-threatening delays.
“I will urge the House to legislate on the matter. We need to pass an Emergency Care Law on this matter. The Chair of the Committee on Health, the Ranking Member, please carry your members along, and work on this matter.
“At the end of the day, the minister responsible for health, together with the committee, will have to come before this House. Then we can take that opportunity to legislate on the matter and try to bring finality to these needless deaths in our country,” he added.
Amissah’s death has stirred public concern and renewed calls for reforms within the healthcare system, particularly regarding emergency admissions.
For many Ghanaians, the incident is not just another statistic but a stark reminder of the urgent need to ensure that no one is turned away in their most critical hour of need.
NA/AE
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