At 10:32 p.m. on February 6, 2026, a call came into the National Ambulance Service. A road traffic crash had occurred at the Circle Overpass in Accra. Within three minutes, Emergency Medical Technicians were on the move. By 10:35 p.m., they had arrived.
The victim was alive.
He was 29-year-old Charles Amissah — an engineer with Promasidor Ghana Limited at the North Industrial Area, part of the team behind products found in homes across Ghana, including Cowbell milk. That night, after a hit-and-run incident on one of Accra’s busiest stretches, Charles needed one thing: emergency medical attention.
What followed was nearly three hours of movement, negotiation, and rejection.
According to a report by graphic.com.gh, the ambulance team first drove to the Police Hospital. They were told there was no space. They proceeded to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge). No admission. No emergency intervention. They then headed to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital — the nation’s premier referral facility. Again, no admission. No vital signs were taken. No hospital staff attended to him.
For almost three hours — from shortly after 10:35 p.m. until about 12:50 a.m. — the EMTs negotiated with three major hospitals to either admit the victim or at least attend to him in the ambulance. The EMTs even offered to wait and use the ambulance trolley. At Korle Bu, they spent about 30 minutes explaining that the patient’s condition was deteriorating and that further transportation could endanger his life. Instead, they were advised to continue to the University of Ghana Medical Centre at Legon.
Charles Amissah died.
He did not die at the accident scene. He died in the shadow of some of Ghana’s biggest hospitals.
And that is why this conversation can no longer be avoided.
Emergency Care is a Legal Duty in Ghana
Beyond the grief and outrage lies a critical legal truth: Ghanaian law prohibits the refusal of emergency medical treatment.
Section 88A of the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2003 (Act 646) makes it a criminal offence for a medical practitioner or health facility to refuse to provide emergency medical treatment to a person in need without reasonable cause.
If a practitioner:
- Knows a person requires emergency treatment,
- Has the capacity to provide it,
- And refuses or fails to do so,
They may be prosecuted.
Additionally, the Patient Charter of the Ghana Health Service guarantees a patient’s right to emergency care without upfront payment where the situation is life-threatening. The 1992 Constitution protects the right to life — a right that becomes painfully relevant when treatment is delayed in critical moments.
Hospitals may refer patients if they genuinely lack the capacity to manage a case. They may discuss billing once a patient is stabilized. But what the law does not permit is a scenario where a critically injured person is left unattended while administrative or space concerns take precedence.
Ignorance and Institutional Culture Are Costing Lives
Too often, relatives do not know they can insist on emergency stabilization. In moments of shock and fear, they comply when told to “go and pay first” or “there is no bed.” They assume the hospital has absolute discretion.
It does not.
On the other hand, health professionals operate within strained systems — overcrowded wards, limited equipment, staffing shortages, and bureaucratic pressure. These are real challenges. But they do not nullify statutory obligations.
When emergency care is denied or delayed in life-threatening situations, it is not merely unfortunate. It may be unlawful.
The disturbing pattern is that some of the very institutions meant to serve as referral anchors — regional and teaching hospitals — are repeatedly mentioned in such reports. That reality demands scrutiny, not silence.
What Families Can do if Emergency Treatment is Refused
In the chaos of an emergency, it is difficult to think about legal rights. But awareness can save a life.
If emergency treatment is refused:
1. Firmly Request Immediate Stabilization
Calmly state that under Section 88A of Act 646 and the Patient Charter, the hospital is required to provide emergency treatment before discussing payment.
Sometimes, invoking the law changes the tone of engagement.
2. Request the Name and Designation of the Officer on Duty
Take note of:
- Names of staff involved
- Time and date
- Statements made
- Names of witnesses
Documentation is essential.
3. Escalate Within the Hospital
Ask to see:
- The Medical Superintendent
- The Head of the Emergency Unit
- The Hospital Administrator
Senior officers are often more aware of legal exposure and may intervene swiftly.
4. Contact the Police
Refusal of emergency treatment may constitute a criminal offence. If the situation is urgent and life-threatening, calling the police can compel immediate action.
5. File Formal Complaints
After the incident, families may report to:
- The Ghana Health Service
- The Ministry of Health
- The Medical and Dental Council
- The Nursing and Midwifery Council
- The Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA)
- CHRAJ
6. Consider Legal Action
Civil suits for negligence or wrongful death may be pursued. Criminal complaints under Act 646 may also be lodged where appropriate.
Accountability is not vengeance. It is deterrence.
A Nation Must Decide
Charles Amissah was not a statistic. He was a son. A colleague. A young engineer building a career. By 10:35 p.m., he was alive in the care of a national emergency system designed to save lives.
By 12:50 a.m., after visits to three major hospitals, he was gone.
If this account is accurate, then the issue before us is not simply about beds or space. It is about whether Ghana will enforce its own laws.
No hospital should place administrative limitations above human life. No emergency team should have to negotiate for hours while a patient deteriorates. No family should watch hope fade because of institutional hesitation.
Emergency care is not generosity. It is a legal and moral obligation.
If we do not enforce it — consistently and visibly — more young men and women like Charles will die not only from accidents, but from systems that forget their primary duty: to save life first.
And that is a burden no nation should accept.
