Serious concerns are mounting over what many describe as a gross failure of leadership and systemic neglect at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital, following revelations that the hospital’s main elevator system has broken down — and remained out of service for several days without action from hospital authorities.
The malfunctioning of the hospital’s lifts — a vital part of its infrastructure — has sparked outrage among health professionals, patients, and civil society actors, especially in light of the unexplained and sudden transfer of the facility’s top management team.
Patients at Risk: A Failing System
The consequences of the breakdown are dire. Patients, including pregnant women, the elderly, post-surgery individuals, and those in critical condition, are being forced to navigate staircases in the multi-floor facility. Health workers say they are risking lives by wheeling patients on stretchers up and down stairways — a task that is not only unsafe but severely compromises patient care.
“This is not just poor timing. It is reckless,” said a senior nurse at the hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We are facing serious challenges here. The lifts are not working, and nobody is saying when they’ll be fixed. In the middle of this, they transfer all the directors. Who is left to take responsibility?”
The physical strain and logistical chaos have taken a toll on both staff and patients. Medical teams are reportedly overwhelmed, and patients are growing increasingly anxious and frustrated over the hospital’s inability to address a basic but critical component of its operation.
Unanswered Questions: Who Is in Charge?
While the malfunctioning lifts remain unrepaired, questions are swirling around the timing and rationale behind the sudden transfer of key figures in hospital leadership, including the Medical Director, Director of Finance, and the Administrator. These are the very individuals who might have provided answers or initiated emergency repairs.
“The Ministry of Health owes the public an explanation,” a concerned Ghanaian said, “It is unacceptable that in a hospital as important as Ridge, the lifts can fail for days without action — and in that very moment, the entire leadership is reshuffled. What message is being sent to staff and patients?”
Sources within the hospital allege that complaints had been made about the state of the lift system long before the complete breakdown. However, they say management failed to act promptly, raising suspicions of negligence or bureaucratic delays in procurement and maintenance processes.
Symbol of Modern Healthcare Now in Decline
Once considered a model of Ghana’s healthcare modernization agenda after its refurbishment and expansion under the previous administration, Ridge Hospital is now at risk of becoming a symbol of institutional failure.
“The hospital was supposed to represent progress — but if we cannot even fix an elevator in a modern hospital, then what kind of progress are we talking about?” asked Dr. Matilda Johnson, a public health advocate. “The situation is disgraceful.”
Some civil society groups are calling for an independent probe into the hospital’s current state, demanding accountability and urgent reforms to ensure patient safety and uphold the standards of public health service delivery.
Call for Immediate Government Intervention
The silence from the Ministry of Health, which has not yet issued a statement addressing either the lift failure or the management reshuffle, is only fuelling public anger and suspicion.
“There needs to be immediate intervention,” said Kofi Owusu, a concerned relative of a patient on the third floor. “We are watching loved ones suffer because of something that could be fixed if people cared. How long should this go on before someone dies on the staircase?”
The Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health are under mounting pressure to not only restore the hospital’s functionality but also reassure the public that their safety and health are a priority.
Until then, Ridge Hospital — once touted as a beacon of modern healthcare — appears to be teetering on the edge of operational paralysis, leaving patients, health workers, and the nation in a state of anxiety and disbelief.