Former Health Minister Bernard Okoe Boye has revealed that nearly 70% of hospitals that fall into debt distress or close down do so largely because of unpaid bills accrued in their emergency units.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, February 21, 2026, Dr. Okoe Boye explained that emergency departments are inherently high-risk financial centres. These units provide immediate, life-saving care often without guaranteed payment, creating significant bad debt exposure for both private and quasi-public hospitals.
“Beyond the concerns of infrastructure and the lack of equipment, a major issue in the sector is health financing,” he said, highlighting that the current model forces emergency referrals and can push hospitals into unsustainable debt.
Dr. Okoe Boye illustrated the problem using the example of an accident victim admitted to Focus Hospital, a private facility equipped with advanced capabilities. Despite its expertise, patients are often required to make substantial deposits—sometimes up to GH¢50,000—before treatment can begin.
“If nobody can raise that amount of money, Focus Hospital would like to move you to Ridge Hospital because that is a government facility,” he explained, noting that public hospitals can absorb part of the financial burden when bills go unpaid.
He stressed that emergency care cannot be delayed for financial clearance, yet private facilities operating under strict financial models struggle to sustain prolonged unpaid care.
Dr. Okoe Boye also cited Bank Hospital, describing it as one of Ghana’s best-equipped hospitals comparable to facilities in the United States.
Despite government support during construction, the hospital operates on a self-financing model and requires deposits to maintain operations. Similarly, some patients initially admitted to private facilities are later transferred to Police Hospital, not due to lack of expertise or equipment, but because families cannot meet financial demands.
“In this case, the referral is not because they do not have the expertise and equipment, but because of finance,” he emphasised.
As a solution, Dr. Okoe Boye proposed the creation of a dedicated emergency healthcare fund financed partly through motor insurance contributions.
“Going forward, when we pay motor insurance, a percentage should be put into a fund—like the Mahama Care Fund—where any emergency case can be handled at any private hospital, at least for a number of days,” he suggested.
He argued that such a fund would allow accident victims to receive immediate life-saving care at private facilities without being prematurely transferred due to financial constraints.
“If your life could have been saved, the agreed time could at least save you,” he concluded.
