Gov’t reconsidering ‘One Constituency, One Ambulance’ model to distribute 100 new vehicles – Akandoh

The government is reconsidering the “One Constituency, One Ambulance” model as it prepares to add 100 new ambulances to the national fleet in 2027.

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says no final decision has been taken on how the new vehicles will be distributed.

He said government is weighing the pros and cons of the previous system before deciding whether to continue with it or review it.

“Well, we have not taken the decision yet,” he told Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday.

The Minister suggested that areas with existing ambulances that are no longer functional could be prioritised under a new approach.

“But I believe that if you have an ambulance within a particular area, and that ambulance is faulty, or is no longer functional, it’s only fair to replace that ambulance,” he said.

He said government is also assessing whether the previous distribution model should continue.

“But then we think about what they did, the pros and cons; we’ve tried that system — can we continue, or do we have to review it as a country?” he asked.

Mr Akandoh said the government’s decision will ultimately depend on whether the existing model has served the country well.

“We can only build on that as a system, and governance is a continuum,” he said, adding, “If we think that that system has served us well, why do we have to revamp?”

The planned expansion of the ambulance fleet forms part of wider efforts to strengthen emergency care.

Mr Akandoh said the government inherited several grounded ambulances and discovered that the fleet was uninsured.

He said all government ambulances were insured in 2025.

“As I speak to you now, we have more than 200 ambulances functioning,” he said.

The Minister said government will replenish the fleet in 2027 with 100 brand-new vehicles.

The ambulances are also being linked to the national emergency bed management system being piloted by the Health Ministry.

He said the system will enable ambulance teams to determine where to send emergency patients based on available beds.

“The ambulance people are also on board; when they pick the patient, they go to the system. They’re able to know we have to send the patient here,” he said.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.