When Ghana faced the “no-bed syndrome” crisis in 2018, public anger grew as patients were turned away from hospitals due to lack of space. The death of 70-year-old Prince Anthony Opoku Acheampong, who died in his car after seven hospitals reportedly refused him admission, shocked the nation.
At the same time, the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), a newly built, world-class hospital, stood idle. The government needed a capable leader to bring it to life, and one name quietly emerged: Dr. Darius Kofi Osei.
Known for his results-driven leadership, Dr. Osei had already transformed struggling hospitals into top performers. At Kwahu Government Hospital in Atibie, he improved staff morale, reduced maternal deaths, and turned the facility into one of the Eastern Region’s best. Later, as Medical Superintendent of Cape Coast Regional Hospital, he used data and systems thinking to improve efficiency and service delivery.
In 2006, he became General Manager of the SSNIT Hospital, where he restructured operations, strengthened governance, and led its rebranding into the Trust Hospitals network, now one of Ghana’s most respected private healthcare brands.
So when Dr. Osei was appointed the founding CEO of UGMC in July 2018, he inherited only empty buildings, no budget, no staff, no equipment. Yet within months, he built systems, hired personnel transparently, and established governance frameworks from scratch.
Under his leadership, UGMC grew into a hub for clinical care, training, and research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital became a national treatment and research centre. Its Covid Connect telemedicine platform allowed patients to consult doctors remotely, showcasing how technology can save lives.
Dr. Osei’s remarkable journey is captured in his upcoming memoir, Not Easily Beaten, which recounts his decades of service and the transformation of Ghana’s major hospitals.
“Leadership,” he writes, “is not about comfort. It is about staying calm in the storm and finding solutions when others see impossibilities.”
His story stands as an inspiration, a reminder that with vision, integrity, and persistence, even the most broken systems can be rebuilt.
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