Health advocate, Samuel Arthur, is calling for an overhaul of the country’s emergency response system.
His call follows a worrying revelation by the Okyehene that former Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Authur was conveyed to the 37 military hospital in a pickup vehicle because there was no ambulance.
The former vice president died shortly after being rushed to the 37 Military Hospital after he reportedly collapsed while at the Airforce Base Gym early Friday morning.
Amissah-Arthur was an economist, academic and politician who was the sixth Vice-President of Ghana, in office from 6 August 2012 until 7 January 2017, under President John Mahama.
Calling for an overhaul of the country’s emergency system in a Starr News interview, Mr. Arthur said: “And if as a people, we don’t consciously work at it we will get to a point once there is an emergency, the fuel you are using will not be able to get you to the hospital and obviously you may lose your life.”
He added, “This is something that’s regrettable and as a people I guess we need to wake up. It looks like we don’t care when people die.”
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is to receive 275 new ambulances from the Special Development Initiative ministry, its Public Relations Officer, Robert Cudjoe, has said. He however failed to disclose when exactly the ambulances will be delivered.
The discussion on inadequate ambulances in the country has been rekindled following the sudden death of Amissah-Arthur.
“When the Late Veep passed on last Friday, there was no information on the lack of ambulance. It is this morning that we heard that there was no ambulance to convey the Veep to the hospital. We are expecting about 275 ambulances to beef up what we already have. We are expecting the 275 ambulances from the Special Development Initiative Ministry,” he said.
Ghana with over 30 million population currently has 155 ambulances, 100 of which have broken down.
The remaining 55, are stationed in various parts of the country to offer emergency health responses and basic life support.
The National Headquarters of the Ambulance Service in Accra has only four ambulances. The statistics indicate that 1 ambulance is shared by over 520,000 Ghanaians.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
