Ambulance Service appeals for new vehicles

The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has appealed to the government to acquire new ambulances, citing a UN policy that states that ambulances become weak after five years.

The Deputy Director, Public Relations, of the service, Simmon Yussif Kewura, therefore, said by that standard, ambulances procured in 2019 had exceeded their lifespan.

The officer made the appeal in an interview with the Daily Graphic during the commemoration of World Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Day in Accra last Wednesday.

“Currently, we have 297 ambulance stations across the country. We need to open more, because some areas are accident-prone and we don’t have enough ambulances in those areas,” he added.

Also, some constituencies or districts need more than one ambulance due to their large size and larger populations.

“For instance, we have Kpone Katamanso stretching out to Oyibi, Golf City and others. So if there is a constituency ambulance stationed at Kpone and there is a case at Oyibi, we will need ambulances to fill all those gaps,” he said.

Speaking about the maintenance regime for the ambulances, the Deputy Director of PR stated that the ambulances were well maintained and followed a strict policy and cleaning procedure.

The day has been set aside to celebrate the role of emergency medical technicians and also showcase equipment on the ambulances and their uses.

Teachers and students of the Presbyterian Boys Senior High School, Legon (PRESEC) joined officials of NAS to commemorate the day, which was on the theme: “We care for everyone”.

Basic life support

Mr Kewura said it was important to educate people on Basic Life Support (BLS) and what to do during emergencies.

“We thought it wise to train more people, to educate as many as we can so that if there is an issue at home, if there is a cardiac arrest or somebody is injured, we will have someone who has an idea on what to do while waiting for an ambulance,” he said.

The officer called on schools to form ambulance clubs where members would be trained as first responders.

Sensitisation

The Head of Emergency Medical Service of the Ambulance Service, Samson Donko, took the students through the importance of BLS, particularly cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

They were taken through how to recognise signs of cardiac arrest, such as whether someone was breathing or had a pulse, and how to carry out chest compressions.

He explained that World EMS Day was set aside globally to honour brave men and women who respond to medical emergencies every day.

“Each time we hear a siren blaring, it’s our heroes heading out to save lives. This day reminds us to recognise their sacrifices and service,” Mr Donko added.

He also emphasised the importance of using barrier devices such as face shields during rescue breathing to prevent infections.

“With diseases like COVID-19 still fresh in memory, mouth-to-mouth should not be done unless there’s a proper barrier device,” Mr Donko said.