The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei Mensah has notified the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives in the various District Assemblies to speed up the construction of their ambulance bays to help maintain the 47 vehicles received from government.

Nana Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, 28th January 2019, commissioned and presented three hundred and seven (307) new, state-of-the-art ambulances to the National Ambulance Service, in fulfilment of his 2016 campaign pledge.

 

 

The Ashanti Region out of the 307 were provided forty seven (47) ambulances for the various constituencies. A handing over ceremony took place on Thursday morning, January 30, 2020 at the residency of the Regional Coordinating Council for onward distribution of the cars to the various constituencies.

According to the Ashanti Regional Minister, 31 ambulance bays have so far been completed out of the 47 therefore he entreated the various MMDCE’s to speed up the pace of work in order to complete the spaces within a month. He also called on the need for the stakeholders to support the National Ambulance Service to administer the day-to-day management of the state-of-the-art ambulances to improve its services within the various constituencies.

 

 

“So far only 31 ambulance bays are ready. About 16 of them are still under various stages of construction,” he said.

“As a result, those without completed bays can park the cars at the Fire or Police Service stations until you are done with your ambulance bay.

“This put high task or premium on the need to speed up on the construction of the ambulance base. MMDCE’s here should please speed up on the construction so that within two weeks or maximum, one month, we’ll have it done.

“What we have to noted is that, the management of the ambulances is also the responsibility of the national ambulance service however we as major stakeholders have to support them to manage these very well,” he said.

 

 

Hon. Simon Osei Mensah called on the public to be witnesses in the president’s fulfilment of the 1-Constituency-1-Ambulance and effectively give the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government a second chance to improve the standard of living of citizens.

“We could have taken the cars to 4BN to park them but we realised we must take the cars to the constituencies for the people to see them and be witnesses of the ambulances that have been supplied,” he said.

He addressed that certain proposed areas in the Ashanti Region waiting to receive an ambulance will be dialogued by authorities of the Ambulance Service to welcome an extra two vehicles to support health movements in the Metropolis.

 

 

“These places are the Kejetia Terminal, Sports Stadium, Central Market, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and other strategic zones within the city will be determined where the extra two ambulances will be located,” he ended.

The New Patriotic Party Chairman, Hon. Bernard Antwi Boasiako enlightened that, the president will progressively address matters affecting the nation therefore Ghanaians must be unwearied and pray for the execution of their challenges with time.

 

READ ALSO:

“We promised in the 2016 NPP Manifesto to strengthen the National Ambulance Service" - Nana Akufo-Addo

 

He educated that people are required to call 112 during emergency health cases for the ambulances to attend to injured victims admonishing  persons to refrain from imaginary calls and help save lives of affected ones.

“In case of tragedies, you are obligatory to call 112 to the core center for the need to be attended. Because there is a GPS (Global Positioning System) at the various stations, callers can easily be tracked from the spot where the call was made to help.

 

 

“These are indeed state of the art cars therefore  government is pleading to the drivers to be committed in their duties towards patients,” he said.

The Regional Head of Ghana Ambulance Service, Dr. Owariga also added that although each constituency has been given an ambulance to serve a purpose yet in urgent situations, the service of the vehicles would be demanded regardless of the constituency.

 

 

“The service of the ambulances is a little bit different from how the constituencies work. Even though these ambulances will come to your constituencies but when there is an emergency, this ambulance can move from one constituency to another. I am saying this so that we don’t have the situation one day and say that why is Bantama’s ambulance at New Edubiase. These are some the problems and we don’t want such conditions,” he said.