Korle Bu Appeals for More Doctors, Nurses as Emergency Centre Comes Under Pressure

Management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has appealed for additional doctors and nurses to address staffing shortages and ease growing pressure on its Accident and Emergency Centre.

The hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, said more permanent medical personnel were needed to complement the doctors and nurses undergoing training at the facility.

Speaking during a briefing with members of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr Adam disclosed that the hospital’s 64-bed Accident and Emergency Centre was struggling to cope with the daily influx of accident victims and other emergency cases referred from across the country.

He explained that the shortage of permanent staff was affecting the hospital’s capacity to adequately resource critical units, particularly the Accident and Emergency Centre and the Intensive Care Unit.

Although Korle Bu has a considerable number of doctors, Dr Adam noted that many are trainees who leave after completing their programmes, creating a recurring staffing gap.

“This is a training institution. We have a number of doctors, but when we look at our numbers, most of them are not our staff. It’s a training institution; they come, we train them, and they go,” he said.

He stressed the need to recruit more medical officers who would remain at the hospital to strengthen emergency response and intensive care services.

Dr Adam said management had already raised the staffing concerns with the hospital’s Director of Human Resources and the Minister of Health but used the engagement with the parliamentary committee to renew its call for additional personnel.

He also emphasised the need for more nurses to work alongside doctors and ensure patients receive timely and effective treatment.

The appeal comes amid broader concerns about the capacity of emergency healthcare facilities to meet growing demand. Korle Bu management has also advocated the construction of a new facility to ease congestion at the existing Accident and Emergency Centre and improve emergency care delivery.