The Member of Parliament for Suhum, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, has called on the government to urgently expand and upgrade the Suhum Government Hospital, warning that the facility is under immense pressure due to its strategic location along one of Ghana’s busiest transport corridors.
According to the MP, the hospital, originally constructed to serve residents of the Suhum township, has effectively evolved into a national accident and emergency referral centre because of its position on the Accra-Kumasi highway, which serves as a major transit route connecting the Bono, Ahafo, Savannah, North East, Upper East and Upper West regions.
Mr Asiedu Bekoe made the appeal following a parliamentary question he posed to the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, regarding government’s plans to improve the facility to meet growing healthcare demands.
Responding in Parliament, the Health Minister indicated that government would shift attention to the hospital in the near future, subject to the availability of funds.
However, the Suhum legislator expressed dissatisfaction with the response, insisting that the growing pressure on the facility demands immediate intervention rather than future promises.
He called for the expansion of infrastructure, increased bed capacity and the deployment of additional doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to adequately manage the increasing number of emergency cases.
The MP backed his appeal with accident statistics recorded between January and May this year, revealing the enormous burden placed on hospitals situated along the Accra-Kumasi-Techiman-Bolgatanga highway corridor.
According to figures presented in Parliament, about 400 accident victims were received within the five-month period alone.
January recorded 104 accident cases, February 84 cases, March 134 cases, April 42 cases and May 30 cases, while 40 patients had to be referred to other facilities.
“These statistics are staggering, which is why government should reconsider its position on this matter,” he said.
He noted that emergency trauma cases often force medical personnel to prioritise critically injured accident victims ahead of patients suffering from illnesses such as malaria and diarrhoea.
“When people are brought in under desperate conditions with deep wounds, doctors and nurses must attend to them first. You cannot turn such people away. That will be the worst form of humanity,” he stated.
Mr Asiedu Bekoe further questioned government’s development priorities, arguing that healthcare infrastructure should take precedence over other projects.
“We need health first. People should have access to healthcare before we think about adding more markets,” he emphasized.
He disclosed that he had asked the Health Minister whether government could redirect some resources earmarked under the 24-hour economy programme towards upgrading hospitals in communities currently under severe pressure.
The MP said he was unsatisfied with the minister’s response after his proposal was not considered for immediate inclusion in future budgetary plans.
“That tells me the priority of government is not about building hospitals to take care of people. I don’t think the government’s priority is right. It’s misplaced,” he said.
He added that while communities already possess market infrastructure, many hospitals urgently require rehabilitation and expansion to save lives.
The Suhum Government Hospital has increasingly become a critical healthcare lifeline for thousands of commuters and residents because of its location along Ghana’s busiest highway, with stakeholders warning that delays in expanding the facility could worsen emergency response outcomes and place further strain on healthcare workers.
By: Christian Kpesese
