‘No patient was placed on the floor’ — Korle Bu responds to viral video
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has rejected claims that patients were treated on the floor at its Accident and Emergency (A&E) Centre, following the circulation of a viral video on social media.
Hospital management said it could not immediately verify the authenticity of the footage, which appears to show patients lying on the floor of the facility.
In a press release issued on Saturday, March 21, 2026, the hospital reported a surge in patient numbers over the past two weeks, placing pressure on available space.
It, however, maintained that no patient had been placed on the floor, clarifying that some individuals were temporarily seated on chairs while awaiting beds, in line with its policy of not turning away critically ill patients.
“Given current advancements in artificial intelligence, which make it possible to generate videos that support specific narratives, we require time to review and investigate the claim to establish its accuracy,” the statement said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Yakubu Seidu Adam, reiterated the position when the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, visited the facility following public concern.
Dr Adam said that although the hospital had recorded a high influx of patients, no individual was made to lie on the floor, adding that management was still reviewing the footage to determine its authenticity.
The video, which surfaced on March 20, has heightened scrutiny of conditions at the country’s premier referral hospital, whose A&E Centre has handled emergency cases since 1964.
To ease congestion, management said it had procured 200 new beds to replace damaged ones and expand capacity, while steps were underway to secure additional beds.
The hospital also indicated that it was collaborating with the National Ambulance Service, the Ghana Health Service, other referral hospitals, and the Association of Private Health Practitioners to streamline referrals and direct patients to appropriate facilities.
The development comes amid heightened public attention on Ghana’s health sector. In February 2026, the hospital interdicted two doctors and two nurses over their alleged failure to provide emergency care to a hit-and-run victim, Charles Amissah, who later died after reportedly being turned away by multiple facilities.
During the State of the Nation Address on February 27, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama directed health workers to attend to emergency cases even where bed space was not immediately available.
Investigations into the viral video are ongoing.
