The Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu on Point Blank on Eyewitness News explains why the government has postponed the distribution of ambulances procured for the 1-Constituency 1-Ambulance initiative.

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He said the procurement of the ambulances is factored into the one constituency, one million dollars agenda promised by the government, and was meant “to ensure that each district has at least one ambulance”.

[contextly_sidebar id=”eN5eycUWFOTP1ZOnaVFM4UQNnj6QNyZu”]The Minister lamented that for the past eight years, the nation’s ambulance stock, which was supposed to have been increased and maintained yearly had not been augmented, stressing “even those which had already been purchased were not operational, money has already been paid but we cannot use them”.

“We are still talking about how to address this outstanding problem”, he added.

Mr Agyemang Manu said this at a Cocktail Party organised by the Ansu Ababio Paediatric Centre (AAPC) of the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital to solicit for funds for its Sick Kids Fund.

He said already tender had been entered for the supply of 15 more ambulances for the sector Ministry with plans for 200 additional ambulances, 50 more through a grant and a final 30 later in the course of the year.

“We want to build the ambulance stock for the country”, he stated.

The Minister said that after consultations with some senior medical officers, there were plans by government to decentralise the work of teaching hospitals in the country.

He stated that Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital had been selected for upgrade to become a small teaching hospital for graduates of the medical school for their internship and housemanship.

“During the course of the year, these interns would be announced, some of them would be sent to the AAPC”, he added.

He urged health personnel to intensify public education on public health issues to prevent the loss of lives and called on members of the public who have not yet registered on the health insurance scheme, with an emphasis on parents to register their wards.

Mr Agyemang Manu promised to support health facilities nationwide including the AAPC in every way he can, including leading efforts to provide a Paediatric ambulance for the Centre.

He encouraged individuals and organisations to donate to the fund and not to leave the government to solely shoulder these responsibilities.

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Source: GNA

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The beneficiaries are the 37 Military Hospital in the Greater Accra, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the Ashanti Region, and the Sunyani Governmental Hospital in the Brong Ahafo Region.

[contextly_sidebar id=”2KX4Jfq9hOoBZMhZOhKWCK4iJAmJtrgH”]The presentation was done at CACI Centenary anniversary church service held at the Black Star Square in Accra on Sunday.

The occasion was also used to hand over the keys of a refurbished home to the family of the founder of the Church, late Apostle Peter Newman.

Other dedicated and hardworking leaders made up of past and present ones were presented with various gifts.

Apostle Dr. Stephen K. Amoaning, presented keys of the ambulances to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, who was the special guest for the occasion, who in turn gave same to representatives of the various hospitals.

Apostle Dr. E.O.K Donkor, General Secretary, CACI, said the presentation formed part of the church’s support to the health sector.

According to Apostle Dr. Donkor, the church has been extending a helping hand to needy and deprived institutions in the country, adding that the Tamale Teaching Hospital would also be given an ambulance very soon.

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Source: GNA

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The former Minister on Eyewitness News explained that, no contract relating to the procurement of ambulances was signed when he was Minister at the time.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nAzgWvc2jWDT6fh81nNeoUmlaTjiEEaY”]“No contract was signed under my tenure. People keep forgetting that I was the Minister for eighteen months and there were seven Ministers over an eight year period so no contract or no financial arrangement was done under my tenure as Minister.”

The Ministry of Health has referred the issue to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for investigations.

The Minister of Health, Kweku Agyemang Manu told the media that, during the transition period, it was noted the ambulances were supplied but the Ministry did not accept them because of the specification shortcomings.

But a few months on, the Ministry of Health noted that the ambulances had been paid for.

Mr. Manu explained that a letter was written to the  “Ministry of Finance and they said that they had paid for the Ministry of Health, but the Ministry of Health installation doesn’t show any payment, and we kept on getting information that the ambulances had been paid for.”

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Segbefia said though the development did not occur under his tenure he had no reservations that the issue had been forwarded to EOCO for investigations, adding that he is willing to assist EOCO in its probe, if need be.

“I have no problem with any investigative body, investigating what has occurred with regards to any matter under the Ministry of Health either before or during the tenure under which I am and if I have to assist , I am willing to assist anyone who is part of the investigative team or the investigative body so that is not a major concern to me.”

He was however quick to remind government to ensure that the ambulances are cleared from the ports and used effectively.

“I welcome the investigations that the Minister wants to embark upon but while the investigations are ongoing, it is also important to see how quickly we can get the equipment out of the port. Let’s kick out the ambulances and let’s deal with what has gone wrong. Let it not be like a situation with the gallopers which were left for years to rust.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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Dr. Adoma Dwomo-Fokuo, a paediatrician, said the supply of such an ambulance would help to convey sick children from remote communities to the hospital and other referral facilities.

[contextly_sidebar id=”KzzsouZYzrXivbg0GnmmbUSy8EErQl0T”]She was speaking at a fund-raising dinner organized by the management of the hospital at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality. The event was in support of the “Sick Kids Fund”, set up to procure drugs and life-saving equipment including monitors and infusion pump.

Additionally, the fund would take care of ambulance charges involving child referral cases.

Dr. Dwomo-Fokuo said the ‘pediatric ambulance’ they were looking for would be fitted with equipment and stocked with drugs required for child care.

That would ensure that seriously ill children receive proper treatment even before they arrived at the hospital.

She announced that, there had been significant reduction in infant mortality from 2.3 per cent to 1.3 per cent. Deaths among pre-term babies had dropped to 10.8 per cent from 12.5 per cent, she added.

She indicated that, the quality of services provided by the hospital’s pediatric centre, had caught the eye of people across the country and beyond.

Dr. Dwomo-Fokuo spoke of plans to establish a neuro-development, research and pediatric surgery centres, and newborn centres of excellence.

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Source: GNA

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