Dr. Yaw Opare Larbi, Deputy Medical Director, has warned that the persistence of “no bed syndrome” is leaving the nation’s leading health facility dangerously overstretched.
On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, he stated that the situation at KATH reflects what is happening at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and other major hospitals.
He said that the pressure on the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi is even more intense.
“What happens in Korle Bu is no different from what happens in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), but I will say that sometimes our situation is even worse and we are under more pressure”, he said.
Dr. Larbi explained that KATH’s role as the only major referral center in the Ashanti Region places a heavy burden on the hospital, as it serves not just Kumasi but nearby regions.
“Because in Komfo Anokye, it is the only tertiary institution in the Ashanti Region,” he added.
The growing number of referrals from across the country is worsening the situation.
“And we receive referrals from about 12, sometimes even 13 regions in Ghana apart from our own people in the city of Kumasi and the Ashanti Region,” he said.
