The National Ambulance Service has decried the insufficient fuel supply, coupled with frequent fluctuations in fuel prices, affecting the smooth delivery of its service.
The Ambulance Service is appealing to the government to consider providing a dedicated source of funding to enable the effective delivery of its service.
The institution made this known to the Health Committee of Parliament during the consideration of the Health Ministry’s budget estimates for 2024.
The Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, urged the government to ensure the release of the service’s budgetary allocation to execute its mandate.
“Mr. Speaker, let me take you to paragraph 9.1.1, and with your permission, I read: the National Ambulance Service indicated to the committee that despite their vital role, they still struggle to get releases for their budgetary allocations. For example, out of the GH¢67.5 million allocated to them, they only received GH¢20.1 million. In 2022, the National Ambulance Service recorded not less than 41,000 cases; in 2023, as at the time they appeared before us, they had recorded only 27,000 cases.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I have read from the report, out of about GH¢67 million in allocation, they have received only GH¢20 million. Mr. Speaker, out of the 307 ambulances that were imported into this country in 2020, about 79 have completely broken down and are not in operation, and about 12 have been involved in accidents. All in all, about 91 of the ambulances are not in operation, and if we continue this way, four years from now, we will not have any ambulances left in the fleet.”