Ghana is working to establish a national command centre to coordinate emergency healthcare delivery and redirect patients to hospitals with available beds in real time, according to Titus Beyuo, Board Chairman of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Prof. Beyuo, who also serves as Member of Parliament for Lambussie, revealed the plan amid growing concern over overcrowding at major referral hospitals across the country.
Speaking on the Joy Super Morning Show on Tuesday, March 24, he explained that the command centre is a central component of a broader emergency patient management system aimed at easing pressure on facilities such as Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Under the proposed system, ambulance teams will no longer transport patients to hospitals without first confirming bed availability. Instead, emergency cases will be routed based on real-time data, ensuring patients are taken to facilities that can provide immediate care.
Prof. Beyuo noted that the initiative would require integrating all of Ghana’s more than 200 ambulances into a unified platform, a process that is still ongoing.
The command centre is expected to tackle a longstanding challenge in Ghana’s healthcare system—patients being taken to already overcrowded hospitals due to a lack of information about capacity elsewhere. By improving coordination, the system aims to distribute cases more efficiently and enhance patient outcomes.
He also acknowledged the role of the Minister of Health in driving the initiative, describing the minister as committed to advancing both the political and administrative processes needed to implement the system.
However, Prof. Beyuo cautioned that no firm timeline has been set for the rollout, citing the complexity of the project, which involves infrastructure development, personnel training, communication systems, and coordination among multiple agencies.
