Thirty ambulances that have been at the centre of a long running controversy over whether they were fit for purpose have been handed over to National Security for refurbishment and eventual integration into the national emergency response fleet.
The vehicles, which had been parked at the Ghana Air Force Base at Burma Camp in Accra for many years, were handed over at the weekend by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Ambulance Service.
They were procured under a 2012 contract, but when they arrived, former Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu, who took office in 2017, said the vehicles lacked essential equipment and safety features, prompting allegations that they were mere imported buses rather than functional ambulances. The matter went on to become a subject of prosecution by the Attorney General, with Agyeman Manu later testifying in court that the 30 vehicles were defective, improperly fitted Sprinter buses rather than working medical vehicles.
His immediate predecessor, Alex Segbefia, disagreed with that assessment, arguing that the Akufo Addo administration was simply refusing to clear the accessories held at the Tema Port that were needed to fit them into the ambulances and make them fit for purpose.
The ambulances, purchased at a cost of about EUR3.5 million, formed part of a first batch of 200 buses that were expected to be procured in 2011 to improve ambulance services nationwide. After inspection on arrival, they were declared unfit for purpose because they lacked the necessary equipment and accessories.
According to the National Ambulance Service, the latest development follows legal clearance from the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, which authorised the Ministry of Health to retrieve and assess the vehicles for potential operational use. In a statement issued on Saturday, August 15, the service said an initial assessment had already been carried out by the State Transport Company, with further technical checks expected to determine the vehicles' roadworthiness and the extent of refurbishment needed before deployment.
The service said the handover forms part of government's effort to recover and restore available emergency response assets, strengthen the operational capacity of the National Ambulance Service and improve access to timely pre hospital emergency care nationwide.
Present at the handover were the Legal Adviser to the Minister of Health, Abubakar Mutiu Rahaman; the Board Chairman of the National Ambulance Service, Nana Baffour Kotei Kutin Sraman II, who is the Bremanhene; the Chief Executive Officer of NAS, Dr George Kojo Owusu; and representatives of National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces. The keys to the 30 ambulances were formally presented to a National Security representative, who will oversee the refurbishment process.
The service said that once refurbished, the ambulances would undergo the necessary technical and roadworthiness assessments before being cleared for operational deployment, adding that the additional vehicles are expected to give a significant boost to the emergency ambulance fleet once certified for use.
