Awine Ali Baba, the Regional Director for the National Ambulance Service (NAS), has highlighted a critical lack of proper office spaces for operations. According to him, ambulances often serve as both transport and office spaces, which is not ideal for staff operations. The situation is particularly dire in areas like Fumbiisi, though towns such as Bolgatanga, Navrongo, and Zebilla have slightly better conditions.
Speaking on A1 Radio, Mr. Awine emphasized that the core mandate of NAS is to provide emergency medical response to situations such as road accidents, sudden illnesses, and pregnancy-related complications. However, due to resource constraints, the service is often compelled to handle non-emergency cases, such as inter-hospital transfers, which are essential for patients requiring specialized care unavailable in the region.
“Our core mandate has been to tackle emergency situations—road crashes, sudden illnesses, and pregnancy-related complications. But sometimes, we are compelled to do inter-hospital transfers for cases that are not emergencies but require further treatment unavailable within the region.”
Mr. Awine noted that district assemblies, which are responsible for providing office spaces for the ambulance service, have been slow to respond despite repeated reports. He stressed that the public often recognizes the vital role of the ambulance service only in times of emergency.
“District assemblies are supposed to provide us with offices. When I go on monitoring visits, I meet with the DCEs, talk to them, and they always promise to help. However, some feel we are demanding too much, and discussions don’t always end well. Unfortunately, people only appreciate our existence when they need an ambulance. But I must commend our chiefs—they are doing very well.”
Another major challenge is staffing. The Upper East Region currently operates with just 149 personnel, far below the 190 required to effectively run 17 ambulance stations. Mr. Awine revealed that many stations are understaffed, with some relying on just six personnel, forcing them to work exhausting shifts of up to 72 hours.
“Our current staff strength is around 149. Ideally, an ambulance station should be run by at least ten personnel. With 17 stations, we should have about 190 staff working in a three-shift system.”
Despite these challenges, the public can still access ambulance services through hospitals and the Emergency Dispatch Center (EDC), which manages calls for assistance. To address funding concerns, the government introduced a ‘Go Card’ system in 2024, allowing free ambulance services within the region. However, services outside the region require a partial fee.
Regarding the state of ambulances, Mr. Awine stated that most vehicles are operational, except for the Tongo and Pusiga ambulances, which are out of service due to technical faults.
“The only vehicle currently grounded due to a knockdown bearing is the Pusiga ambulance. Out of 17 stations, 16 are more or less operational.”
Mr. Awine urged both the government and the public to support the ambulance service, particularly in providing office spaces and essential equipment. He stressed that even small contributions, such as phones or data collection tools, would significantly improve service delivery.
“We need public support. Even if it’s a telephone, just come and give it to us—it will make a difference. We need to key in our data because everything is electronic now,” he added.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
