The refusal of the Akufo-Addo government to distribute some procured ambulances in spite of the pressure mounted by the Minority in Parliament and a pressure group called OccupyGhana has made the Juaboso lawmaker, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh to conclude that the government is playing politics with the parked ambulances.
He explained his stance that the Akufo-Addo government to organize a durbar and make a jamboree to outdoor the ambulances next year to attract public sympathy as a government that cares for its people.
Commenting on the government’s refusal to comply with the ultimatum issued by Minority in Parliament, the Ranking Member in Parliament for Committee on Health insisted that all the reasons given by the government as to why the ambulances are still parked at the forecourt of Parliament are after-thought.
He maintained that the government does not have any genuine reason for delaying the distribution of the ambulances which are parked under the mercy of the sun and the rain as day-in and day-out, the government comes up with different reasons for the delay.
“Day-in and day-out, they look for different reasons and when they bring their reasons and when we criticize the reasons, then they look for another but if they have genuine reasons, the reasons should be one and it must be one,” he claimed on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show.
He asserted that “they just want to score political points with the ambulances next year. They want to do a jamboree with the ambulances and so it is all about politics that the government is doing with the parked ambulances”.
“If something bad like a car accident should happen, you will see the President and his entourage visiting the victims to show that he cares for the people; meanwhile, if the ambulances are working, we would have saved lives,” he speculated.
The state of Ghana’s ambulance service has been described by many in the health sector as critical. A country of about 29 million people only has 55 functioning ambulances serving all 10 regions.
Ghana currently has 155 ambulances, 100 of which have broken down due to various faults, many of them engine-related. The National Headquarters of the Ambulance Service in Accra has only four ambulances.
It is for this reason that perhaps the Minority held a press conference last week, asking for the immediate distribution of some 48 ambulances parked at the forecourt of Parliament.
96 out of the 275 ambulances purchased under the Government's One Constituency One Ambulance initiative are currently parked at the State House awaiting distribution.
But the Minister for Special Development Initiative, Mavis Hawa Koomson appears unmoved by these remarks, saying her outfit will ensure that what needs to be done first is done before the ambulances are distributed.
"The deaths of Ghanaians were a worrying situation hence the decision by the President to procure these ambulances, especially for remote areas. We [NPP] acquired the ambulances to serve the people and will not shirk that responsibility”, she added.
She however bluntly told the host of ‘Ghana Montie’ morning show on Neat FM that procedures would have to be followed before the distribution can be done, and sarcastically quizzed “did people start dying today?”
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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In some advanced democracies, paramedics are first trained at polytechnics. So is jewellery production.
Dinning is ready prefects needed to share the food
NDC indeed is not a serious entity in this country. I wonder why such characters grouped themselves to form a party. For 8 good years you were not able to deliver a complete single ambulance. Those you imported are like Trotro without any single health related facility. Now look at them and their posture too. Mtcheeeeeeeew
NDC indeed is not a serious entity in this country. I wonder why such characters grouped themselves to form a party. For 8 good years you were not able to deliver a complete single ambulance. Those you imported are like Trotro without any single health related facility. Now look at them and their posture too. Mtcheeeeeeeew
when thw Govt rushed the fre SHSW out, the NDC complained. now that it's taking it's time with the Ambulances, they are complaining as well. the EMTs will be traned first then the control centre set up. there are structures behind the scenes in the operation of an Ambulance system. civilised dialogue need to be had. the Gov't is following its planned procedure. so stop the noise!
why wouldnt the NPP play politics with it? they took the risk and procure it not only for the purpose of helping sick persons but also demonstrating to the public and citizens that the NPP can utilise the Ghanaian funds better. this they hope would translate into votes. what Ghanaians need is a political party that can utilise the funds better and not usher us into complete darkness.
Village ganganlia, Akandoh