"Pay this, pay that, and the patient dies" - Former UGMC boss demands end to cash-and-carry in emergency care
Dr. Darius Osei criticised the "pay-before-service" culture in Ghana's emergency wards on Thursday, 2nd April 2026, during a JoyNews dialogue. He labelled the practice of demanding money from trauma victims a death sentence. Dr. Osei advocated for a nationwide policy where no financial reimbursements or payments are collected from emergency patients within the first 24 hours of arrival.
Dr. Osei revealed that he implemented a policy at UGMC where "no money should be collected from any patient within 24 hours" and "patients must be attended to within 10 minutes." He emphasized the importance of having pharmacy, laboratory, and radiology services physically located within the emergency footprint. Dr. Osei pointed to a "technical vacuum" in Ghana's districts, noting that regional and district hospitals lack basic diagnostic equipment like CT scans. He urged that "each district hospital should have a CT scan."
Dr. Osei called for a radical redefinition of the Ghanaian emergency protocol. He argued that without standardised equipment and a "Care First, Pay Later" legal framework, the nation will continue to lose citizens to "predictable and preventable" delays.
Quick Summary
Dr. Darius Osei, former UGMC boss, has criticised the prioritization of payment over patient care in Ghana's emergency wards. He is advocating for a nationwide policy shift- but what changes could truly save lives?
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