President John Dramani Mahama has announced decisive measures to eliminate the long-standing “no-bed syndrome” in Ghana’s health facilities, emphasizing that no patient in need of emergency medical care should be turned away from any health facility.

Speaking during the State of the Nation Address, President Mahama stressed that the Ministry of Health will soon issue new operational guidelines to ensure that patients in emergency situations receive immediate care, even under makeshift or temporary conditions.

“You don’t need to have a comfortable bed to save a patient. No patient must be turned away from any health facility they report to,” President Mahama stated, underscoring the government’s commitment to saving lives while health infrastructure capacity is being expanded.

To address the challenge sustainably, the government outlined several ongoing infrastructure projects aimed at increasing hospital bed capacity across the country. President Mahama announced the implementation of Phase 2 of the Ridge Hospital project to expand bed capacity at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.

“We are investing heavily in expanding healthcare infrastructure to ensure that our hospitals can meet the growing demand for quality healthcare services,” he added.

The President also confirmed that several major hospital projects will be completed to improve healthcare delivery nationwide. These include the completion of the Police Hospital project and the La General Hospital project in the Greater Accra Region.

In the Ashanti Region, President Mahama said the government remains committed to strengthening tertiary and regional healthcare delivery. “We will complete the Sewa Regional Hospital. We will complete the Afari Military Hospital. And we will complete the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Maternity and Children’s Block,” he assured.

According to the President, the infrastructure expansion is part of a broader health reform agenda aimed at improving access to quality healthcare while reducing the pressure on major referral hospitals.

Health policy analysts have often identified the no-bed syndrome as a critical challenge contributing to preventable deaths in the country’s health system. The new policy guidelines are expected to improve emergency response protocols and ensure better coordination between health facilities.

President Mahama reaffirmed that improving healthcare access remains a top priority of his administration, adding that the government will continue to invest in both human resources and health infrastructure to strengthen Ghana’s health system.

President John Dramani Mahama has announced significant progress in strengthening Ghana’s health workforce, revealing that over the past year, 13,500 nurses and midwives, along with hundreds of doctors and other health professionals, have been absorbed into the public payroll.

Addressing the nation, President Mahama described the development as part of government’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery and resolving unemployment challenges among trained health professionals.

“Over the past year, 13,500 nurses and midwives, together with hundreds of doctors and other health professionals, have been successfully absorbed into the public payroll,” President Mahama stated.

He further announced that nursing trainee allowances, which had been a major concern for trainees, have now been fully regularized and restored as part of efforts to support health education and training.

“We are determined to support our health trainees and professionals. That is why nursing trainee allowances have been regularized and restored to ease the financial burden on students pursuing health training,” he added.

According to the President, the government’s health sector reforms are aimed at improving service delivery, boosting morale among health workers, and ensuring better access to quality healthcare across the country.

He reiterated government’s commitment to expanding recruitment opportunities for health professionals while improving working conditions within the public health sector.

Analysts have described the move as a major step toward addressing workforce shortages in public health facilities and strengthening Ghana’s healthcare system.

President John Dramani Mahama has defended the government’s decision to revise the producer price of cocoa, describing the move as a necessary economic reform aimed at stabilizing the sector and protecting Ghana’s long-term financial future, despite the short-term challenges it may create for farmers.

Addressing Parliament during the State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Mahama acknowledged the concerns of cocoa farmers following the price adjustment but stressed that the decision was unavoidable due to liquidity pressures in the sector.

“In the last week, we have had to take the painful but necessary decision to revise the producer price of cocoa to achieve competitive pricing and resolve the acute liquidity challenges in the sector,” President Mahama stated.

He explained that the government faced a difficult economic choice, noting that failure to implement the reforms would have forced the country into additional borrowing, potentially worsening Ghana’s debt situation.

“Failure to do this would have meant borrowing billions in borrowed funds. This unplanned expenditure would have taken us right back to the very devastating economic problem we have only recently begun to escape,” he said.

President Mahama further revealed that previous economic challenges had placed significant financial strain on the national budget, making prudent fiscal management essential to sustain economic recovery.

He assured cocoa farmers that the reforms are not intended to disadvantage them but rather to ensure sustainable and fair returns for their labour.

“While fully understanding the concerns and protests of our farmers, I can firmly assure them that the reforms announced by government will see a total transformation of the cocoa sector,” he said.

According to the President, the restructured pricing system will provide greater transparency and help farmers maintain decent profit margins while covering the cost of production.

“It will guarantee them a fair and transparent price that enables them to meet the cost of producing the commodity and making decent margins,” he added.

President Mahama emphasized that economic leadership requires making tough decisions to protect the broader population from future hardship.

“The difference between economic hardship and avoiding the same is the exercise of sound economic judgment. And I’m determined to take decisions that ensure our collective well-being and avoid the suffering of all our citizens,” he stated.

He acknowledged that the reforms may be unpopular in the short term but insisted they were necessary to secure Ghana’s economic transformation and ensure the sustainability of the cocoa sector, which remains a key contributor to foreign exchange earnings and rural livelihoods.

“These are difficult decisions to take, but I had to take them,” he concluded.