Accident victim dies after being turned away from 3 major hospitals in Accra

Nii Ayitey Brown 11:08 - 13 February 2026

A hit-and-run victim in Accra tragically died after being refused emergency care by three major hospitals, highlighting Ghana’s ongoing “no-bed syndrome” crisis and sparking public outrage.

In the early hours of Friday, February 6, Charles Amissah, 29, who worked at Promasidor Ghana Limited, was involved in a hit‑and‑run crash at the Nkrumah Circle Overpass in Accra.

Despite being attended by emergency medical technicians, he was repeatedly denied emergency care by three major hospitals.

Within three hours, Charles died, not from the accident alone, but from a system failure that left him without urgent medical attention. The tragic case has reignited national debate over what Ghanaians call “no‑bed syndrome”.

A phenomenon in which patients in urgent need of care are turned away from hospitals on the excuse of unavailable beds or resources.

 According to reports from Graphic online, late on February 6, around 10:32 pm, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) from the National Ambulance Service received a distress call about a road traffic crash at the Circle Overpass.

They arrived on the scene within minutes and found Charles bleeding profusely from a deep shoulder injury. After stabilizing him, they rushed him to the Police Hospital. But the doors never opened. The Police Hospital claimed “no space available.”

The ambulance crew offered to let Charles be treated in the ambulance using its trolley, but the hospital staff refused. Over the next three hours, per reports, Charles was rejected by Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

In all three hospitals, no medical staff attended to him, no vitals were checked, and no emergency intervention was given.  By around 00:50 am, Charles went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance. The EMT team performed CPR, but it was too late. After several attempts, he was pronounced dead.

Only then did a Korle Bu doctor come out to certify his death and direct that the body be taken to the mortuary. It was only three days later, when Charles’s family reported him missing and searched social media and police stations for information, that they discovered his tragic fate.

A missing person poster circulated online, “Last seen 6th February at Santa Maria on a red motorcycle”, bringing public awareness to the situation before official confirmation of his death was made.

The phrase “no‑bed syndrome” may sound straightforward, but its meaning in Ghana goes much deeper than whether a mattress is available.

Ghana’s hospital‑bed‑to‑population ratio is far below World Health Organization recommendations, with around 0.9 beds per 1,000 people, contributing to overcrowding and the phenomenon of patients being moved from facility to facility without care. 

The heartbreaking story of Charles Amissah has sparked outrage online and sharp criticism of the health system’s response. Social media users have reacted strongly to the news, highlighting concern about emergency care in Ghana with some criticizing the healthcare system.

The “no‑bed syndrome” label has been part of Ghana’s public health conversation for years. Its name first surged into national awareness after a 2018 case, in which a 70‑year‑old man died after being turned away from seven hospitals in Accra while seeking admission.

That tragic series of refusals similarly caused an uproar about gaps in emergency care and hospital responsiveness. 

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