The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has temporarily suspended new emergency admissions after its Accident and Emergency (A&E) Centre became overwhelmed with patients.
The situation has forced management to redirect cases to other health facilities across the Ashanti Region.
In a statement issued late Tuesday and signed by the Head of Public Affairs, Kwame Frimpong, the hospital said its A&E Centre had exceeded capacity and would be unable to admit new emergency cases for the next 24 hours.
According to the hospital, the facility, originally designed to accommodate 37 beds, is currently handling 61 admitted patients across its Orange, Yellow and Red critical care wards, while an additional 34 patients remain on a waiting list for admission.
Management said the decision was necessary to prevent further strain on the facility and ensure that critically ill patients already receiving care are not placed at additional risk.
“The Accident and Emergency Centre is full and overflowing with waiting patients and is therefore not in a position to admit new emergency cases for the next 24 hours,” the statement said.
KATH has advised the public to seek emergency care at peripheral hospitals within the region while efforts are made to clear the backlog and stabilize operations at the country’s second-largest referral hospital.
The hospital disclosed that it is working closely with the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate to coordinate patient referrals and support from other health facilities until the situation improves.
Despite the temporary suspension, KATH emphasized that neonatal, paediatric and obstetric emergency services remain fully operational and are not affected by the current measures.
Hospital authorities said the situation is under continuous review, with emergency physicians and other medical staff working to manage the surge in cases.
Management expressed hope that normal emergency admissions would resume once pressure on the facility eases in the coming days.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
