The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, has donated an ambulance to the Bolgatanga Municipal Health Directorate to improve emergency healthcare delivery and reduce delays in the transportation of critically ill patients.
The ambulance, which was procured with the MP’s personal resources, was officially handed over to the Municipal Health Directorate during a brief ceremony in Bolgatanga.
Presenting the keys to health authorities, Mr. Adongo said the donation was motivated by the numerous challenges residents face in accessing ambulance services during emergencies.
He recounted several instances where patients had to wait for hours, and sometimes days, before an ambulance became available, resulting in avoidable suffering and, in some cases, loss of lives.
“Often when people need an ambulance, they reach out to me. With all the contacts that I have, sometimes it is not operationally possible for assistance to come on time,” he said.
The MP cited a recent case involving a young man from Yorogo who suffered a head injury and required transportation for a medical scan. According to him, the only available ambulance had earlier transported a patient to Kumasi and was unavailable. When it eventually arrived, it could not undertake a night journey due to faulty lights, forcing the patient to wait until the following day.
“We were fortunate it was not fatal. In some instances, we have had fatalities because help did not arrive on time,” he noted.
Mr. Adongo revealed that he had personally transported patients in emergency situations, including travelling to Nyariga in the middle of the night to assist a patient being referred to Tamale.
To address such challenges, he decided to purchase the ambulance and dedicate it solely to the people of the Bolgatanga Municipality.
“This is not public funds. This is Isaac Adongo thanking his constituents. I bought this ambulance on my own to give to the Municipal Health Directorate,” he stated.
He explained that the vehicle was handed to the Municipal Health Directorate rather than the National Ambulance Service to ensure that it remains available for residents of the municipality.
“The reason I am not giving it to the National Ambulance Service is that I don’t want it swallowed into the pool of ambulances. Once it is here and controlled by you, it should be dedicated to only the people of the Bolgatanga Municipality,” he said.
Mr. Adongo stressed that the ambulance should be used strictly for transporting patients and not for conveying dead bodies.
“This ambulance is for the sick, not for the dead,” he cautioned, urging residents to respect the purpose for which it was provided.
He further appealed to the public to follow proper medical procedures when seeking ambulance services, explaining that referrals should be based on recommendations from health professionals.
Receiving the ambulance on behalf of the Municipal Health Directorate, Acting Municipal Director of Health Services, Simon Effah Adjei, described the donation as timely and significant.
He noted that the municipality often faces challenges when the National Ambulance Service vehicles are engaged elsewhere, leading to delays in referrals and emergency responses.
“This ambulance has come timely, as it will help to improve referrals. There are instances where the National Ambulance may be on another mission and may not be available. This one will come to support,” he said.
Mr. Adjei observed that transportation delays remain a contributing factor to maternal and child deaths and expressed confidence that the new ambulance would help improve outcomes.
“One of the challenges we face as a region has to do with maternal deaths, and one of the causes is the delay in transportation. We believe this ambulance will help improve referrals and reduce maternal and child mortality,” he stated.
He added that the vehicle would also enhance the municipality’s ability to respond quickly to accidents and public health emergencies, including disease outbreaks.
The Acting Municipal Director praised Mr. Adongo for his continued support for healthcare delivery in the municipality, noting that the MP had previously assisted in improving infrastructure at several health facilities.
On behalf of the Municipal Health Directorate, he assured the MP and residents that the ambulance would be put to good use to improve healthcare services and save lives across the municipality.
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