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Akufo-Addo to distribute 300 ambulances Tuesday

source classfmonline

publish by Abena Konama

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will, on Tuesday, 28 January 2020 inaugurate the over 300 ambulances meant for emergency healthcare delivery at all the 27 constituencies across the country.

Already, over 300 EMT drivers and support staff, as well as 30 dispatchers, have been sent to the 275 constituencies to support emergency healthcare services in Ghana.

The ambulances were procured under the government’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) currently being implemented by the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives.

Since the establishment of the Ghana Ambulance Service in 2004 with some 10 ambulances and 7 stations, emergency healthcare has, in recent years, ground to a halt leaving the Ambulance Service with some 55 ambulances.

Addressing journalists in Accra, the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said in line with the government’s pre-election commitment to improving healthcare delivery, the Akufo-Addo administration has “The initial deployment of EMT staff are drawn from this and previous staff. An additional 900 staff have received clearance to be recruited”, he said

The Minister disclosed that Tuesday’s inauguration by the President follows the completion of the training of paramedics and the fitting of tracking devices on the ambulances.

It is a requirement that the manufacturers, through the suppliers, provide user training for the ambulances and medical equipment on board, as well as the tracking devices installed on the ambulances.

A training of 50 paramedic trainers drawn from across all the regions in the country has also ended successfully while 300 Emergency Medical Technician drivers drawn from across all the ambulance stations in the country have also been given the necessary training.  

Additionally, 30 dispatchers have benefitted from training on the tracking devices and dispatch operation systems. 

Mr Nkrumah said the training of these paramedics and installation of emergency devices in these ambulances pave the way for the inauguration and distribution by President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday.

Immediately after the inauguration, the emergency vehicles will be dispatched to their respective regions before they arrive at the constituencies.