The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has clarified the use of an ambulance to cart cement saying the said vehicle is not in its custody.
The NAS commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding an incident in which an ambulance ostensibly belonging to the service was observed in a viral video carting cement bags.
It, however, indicated that preliminary findings of the investigations revealed that the said vehicle with registration number GV -537-20, was one of the ambulances awaiting the fixing of minor faults by the supplier before being received and integrated into the NAS fleet.
A release signed by the head of Public Relations NAS, Simmons Yussif Kewura, said the incident occurred on or around March 26, 2021, while the said ambulance was in the custody of the suppliers; Service Ghana Autogroup Ltd.
“The said suppliers had caused the Ambulance to be sent to its garage to address a minor fault. The National Ambulance Service had earlier declined to take custody of the vehicle because of the said fault.
A mechanic of the said garage (Nana Ofosu – Gear Box specialist) after the repairs, drove the ambulance toward the Mallam-Kasoa- Winneba road on a test drive and during the process employed the vehicle for his private purposes,” it said.
The service said the ambulance is still in the custody of Service Ghana Autogroup Ltd and therefore not being used by the paramedics of the NAS.
” It is thus not part of the National Ambulance Service fleet,” it stressed.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri