Stakeholders of the MotoMed’s healthcare services in a group photograph
Over 300 children in Jamestown and Usshertown in Accra have benefitted from MotoMed’s healthcare services.
MotoMeds operation in Ghana, is a joint project of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and the University of Florida designed to overcome barriers to seeking care and providing healthcare services to children at night.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, Associate Professor at the University of Florida, Prof. Torben Becker revealed that globally, respiratory infections, diarrheal disease, and malaria are leading causes of child death.
Despite being treatable these common illnesses frequently progress into life-threatening emergencies in low-resource settings.
“Our paramedical team has designed a nighttime telemedicine and medication delivery service called MotoMeds to overcome barriers to seeking care. So far we have cared for over 300 children since our introduction in November” he said.
USAID/Ghana Family Health Team Lead, Gladys Tetteh-Yeboah, expressed the United States’ support for responsive, emergency health services.
“USAID remains committed to our partnership with the Ghana Health Service and the National Ambulance Service to ensure accessible, timely, and quality care for all,” she said.
She further indicated that since the launch of MotoMed, USAID has funded the health project in the form of a grant that includes research in partnership with the University of Florida and Ghana National Ambulance Service.
“The research will evaluate the nine-month pilot for clinical safety and operational feasibility of the service model in Ghana to inform its scale-up potential,” she added.
CEO of the Ghana National Ambulance Service, Prof. Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah noted that the MotoMed operations implemented in the James Town, Bukom, and Usher Town areas in Accra between 8 pm and 7 am would be extended to other locations in and outside the capital city for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke