Expect One Constituency One Ambulance Soon — Ambulance Service

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Ambulance Service (NAS), Professor Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah has confirmed the arrival of 275 Ambulances promised by the government.

The lack of ambulances in the country has been an issue―stalling Ghana’s progress in giving to its citizens, proper and comprehensive health care.

The ambulances which are expected to augment Ghana’s failing ambulance service are expected to hit the shores by the first quarter of next year.

Just as government had promised, the ambulances will be disbursed amongst the nation’s 275 constituencies.

“As you are aware, the government has planned to acquire 275 ambulances for each constituency. Procurement is in the pipeline and when that is done, it means that we would be having 275 new ambulances to augment the fleet and improve emergency care in general,” he said.

According to the CEO, the country currently has just about 50 working ambulance but even with that, not all are available for use.

Explaining why there is a shortfall in the number of ambulances, Prof. Zakariah said “some of them are on the road, they get faults and they go to the workshops and those in the workshops return to the roads so the number keeps fluctuating and that is what we are working with.”

He continued: “We have a chunk of them which have developed engine problems which we are trying to fix. We have about 90 to 95 that have developed major engine problems which are being fixed…there is an urgent need to fix them.”

The CEO was however quick to add that the 275 new ambulances would not be stationed at the hospitals.

“They are not for hospitals; they are for establishing ambulance stations which will provide care for the community. Let’s partner with each other and improve our emergency response systems and save lives,” he stated.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]