The Ghana National Ambulance Service has revealed that processes are underway to procure 400 new ambulances and 500 medical motorbikes to improve service delivery and response times.

According to the Service, the ambulances will come in various categories, including pediatric ambulances, basic life support ambulances, advanced life support ambulances, critical care ambulances, and ICU ambulances, among others.

The motorbikes will help personnel navigate traffic during emergencies, which they said often hampers their operations, and will also enhance response time and critical interventions.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, March 2, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Ambulance Service, Dr George Kojo Owusu, explained that although specific timelines cannot be provided at this stage, the procurement processes have been initiated to acquire the fleet.

“As we speak, we are at the decision process, and procurement of that magnitude of ambulances takes time and involves a lot of negotiations, so timelines cannot be given now. When we get the timelines, we will make them available to you,” he said.

He further called for measured criticism of the Service, citing recent media backlash. He noted that while the institution faces challenges like any other organisation, it is not in crisis as has been portrayed.