Broadcast Journalist, Captain Smart has been unveiled as Ambassador for the Ghana National Ambulance Service’s ‘Operation Save a Soul’ campaign.
Captain Smart, who also hosts Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem has a mandate of leading a team to solicit for support and resources for the Ambulance Service which is said to be under-resourced.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health, Tina Gifty Mensah, said the resources Captain Smart and his team would generated will be used to procure new ambulances to enhance the country’s emergency response capabilities.
She said five major areas have been identified as being key to improving the service.
These include: procurement of new ambulances to argument the current fleet and to open more ambulance stations in the country; upgrade and construction of new facilities at the Paramedic and Emergency Care Training Schools to scale up scope of training; Procurement of equipment and upgrade of the NAS Emergency Dispatch Centre to improve the emergency toll free line 193 and the procurement of medical equipment and training materials to enhance training and support for capacity building to improve quality care.
“In representing the service, the Ambassador would as and when necessary be in the Emergency Medical Technician Uniform. He would also be assigned an Emergency Medical Technician who would work closely with him,” she added.
Captain Smart who was grateful for the honour promised to put in his best in ensuring that the dream to which he was appointed was realized.
Ghana’s emergency services poor
Ghana has one of the poorest emergency services with very few ambulances that struggle to move through congested streets in cases of an emergency.
The inefficiency of the emergency system, has encouraged the practice where private cars and sometimes taxicabs become the alternative ambulance in case of emergency.
In most cases, the inefficiencies have led to the loss of precious lives as it happened in the Kintampo-Tamale accident in 2016 which claimed over 60 lives and left 25 others injured.
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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana