Well-known Public Health lecturer at the University of West London, Dr. Aboagye Da Costa has commended the Akufo-Addo government for unveiling the 275 Mercedes Benz Ambulances to be distributed to all constituencies in the country.
In an interview monitored by DGN online, Dr Da Costa noted that the ambulances will help to save many lives and add to the almost 55 Ambulances serving around 30 million Ghanaians thus addressing the deficit.
The Ambulances which were unveiled at the Silver Star Auto Limited are fitted with modern equipment and built to suit Ghana’s terrain according to the Minister of Health.
The provision of the Ambulances is in fulfillment of the President’s December 2018 promise to provide Ambulances to all the 275 constituencies to address the country’s ambulance deficit in the health sector.
According to Dr Da Costa, the ambulance service plays a vital role in saving lives and since its primary purpose is to transport the sick or injured people from emergency scenes to the hospitals, Ghanaians, especially those living in rural districts are set to benefit from the service impacts of these additional 275 ambulances.
He however indicated the need for adequate paramedics with first-aid skills to be trained in order to deal with cardiac arrests, profuse bleeding, road accidents, crush and fall injuries.
Recognising that Ghanaians can avoid emergency situations by being careful in their actions and by frequently having medical check-ups, Dr DaCosta argued that as we cannot fully control what happens to accidents may still happen but in cases that immediate medical assistance are highly needed, citizens can rely on those who offer ambulance services.
In praising the government, Dr DaCosta also appealed to care takers of the ambulances to have a good maintenance culture.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri