Yesterday, we carried a story about the Elubo Government Hospital, which is already on the verge of collapse, two years after its commissioning. Built to serve as a major healthcare hub for Elubo and its surrounding communities, the hospital is crippled by an acute shortage of nurses.
Out of the 120 nurses required to operate effectively, only 45 are currently available. This chronic understaffing has left several facilities within the hospital closed, denying residents access to vital health services.
The Medical Superintendent, Dr. Zachariah Musah, revealed that the shortage is not due to a lack of need, but rather the unwillingness of nurses to accept postings to Elubo. Compounding the situation is the lack of proper accommodation for health personnel, further discouraging staff transfers.
The Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, did not mince words during his visit, criticising the loopholes in enforcement policies that allow nurses to refuse postings while remaining on government payroll. He rightly pointed out the injustice of overstaffing in some urban facilities, while rural hospitals like Elubo are abandoned.
This is a tragic paradox. While Elubo’s multi-million-cedi investment remains underutilised, countless patients continue to travel long distances or suffer needlessly because a state-of-the-art hospital stands half empty. The people of Elubo were promised quality healthcare, but what they have is an expensive white elephant struggling to justify its existence.
What makes this situation even more disheartening is the national conversation about health sovereignty. At the recent high-level meeting of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), President John Mahama stressed that Africa must take ownership of its health security, arguing that investments in health must be central to development.
Only a few days ago, during the President’s media encounter with Journalists on September 10, 2025 President Mahama announced that the National health budget for 2025 has been increased by 13.4% rising from GHS 15.6 billion to GHS 17.8 billion, one of the most significant in recent years.
These commitments are commendable, but they raise a serious question – of what use are impressive budgetary allocations and lofty declarations if hospitals like Elubo are left in neglect? We cannot champion “health sovereignty” abroad while at home, our hospitals lack basic human resources.
Health is not simply about brick-and-mortar facilities or bigger budgets, it is about ensuring that every hospital, whether in Accra, Kumasi or Elubo, has the trained personnel, equipment and resources to deliver quality care.
Research consistently shows that strong health systems are not built solely on infrastructure but on the availability and motivation of health workers. The World Health Organisation warns that inadequate staffing not only undermines patient care but also discourages people from seeking timely medical attention, leading to preventable deaths.
In rural Ghana, this reality is tragically familiar. The Elubo case must serve as a wake-up call. The Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service must urgently address the uneven distribution of health workers, enforce posting policies fairly and provide decent accommodation for staff in underserved areas. Otherwise, new facilities will continue to rot, while the burden on already overstretched urban hospitals deepens.
Healthcare is a basic human right, not a privilege. If we are to make health sovereignty a reality, then the people of Elubo and every Ghanaian must have access to the care they were promised. Anything less is a betrayal.
