The Chief Executive Officer of the National Ambulance Service (NAS), Prof. Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah, has called for the establishment of a dedicated and operational national air ambulance system.

He said this would enhance the country’s emergency response capabilities, especially after an aviation accident in remote areas.

Prof. Zakariah said that as domestic airline operations continued to expand across the country, the need for a dedicated air ambulance system had become critical.

“Air ambulances are no longer a luxury — they are a necessity. In the event of an aviation accident in a remote area far from major cities or health facilities, air evacuation may be the only viable option to save lives. Yet, the country currently does not have a single dedicated air ambulance,” he added.

He made the call when the acting Commissioner of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB), John M.K. Wumborti, paid a courtesy visit to the NAS headquarters in Accra yesterday.

The visit was to deepen inter-agency collaboration in aviation emergency response and enhance coordination and preparedness between the two agencies in the event of aircraft accidents and incidents across the country.

The call also formed part of AIB Ghana’s series of stakeholder engagements to enhance cooperation within the aviation and safety sectors.

Relevance

Prof. Zakariah, therefore, called for strategic collaboration with the Ghana Air Force and other key agencies to advocate and build capacity for air-based emergency medical services.

He dispelled the misconception that the Air Force functioned and doubled as an air ambulance service, saying “the Air Force is not an air ambulance system. It’s time we establish one”.

“This is about saving lives. It’s time we took bold steps to ensure no citizen is left without timely emergency care, no matter where an accident occurs,” Prof. Zakariah  added.

Prof. Zakariah highlighted glaring gaps in the country’s preparedness to handle aviation emergencies, adding that while some airports had commendable safety compliance measures, others fell short, particularly in terms of on-site ambulance services.

“It is mandatory for airports to have ambulances stationed on their premises. In an emergency, time is of the essence — we cannot afford to transport emergency vehicles from distant locations.

“We must identify airports that currently lack ambulance offices and take swift action to establish them,” he said.

Prof. Zakariah further said that currently, NAS operated with only over 300 ambulances, a figure that fell short of the internationally recommended ambulance-to-population ratio of 1 to 50,000.

“With Ghana’s population exceeding 33 million, the current ratio stands at more than 1 to 100,000..”.

Collaboration

For his part, Mr Wumborti underscored the need for stronger collaboration between AIB Ghana and NAS to enhance the country’s emergency response capabilities, especially in the aviation sector.

He said that the nature of aircraft accident investigations demanded close coordination with frontline responders like NAS.

“In the event of an accident, they are often the first to be called and rightly so, because the public is more familiar with the Ambulance Service than they are with us,” Mr Wumborti said.

He said the visit was not only to foster mutual understanding but also initiate the process of developing a formal protocol that guided both agencies in the execution of their responsibilities.

“As a relatively new and private institution, the bureau plans to embark on a public education campaign to raise awareness about its mandate and encourage early engagement during emergency situations.

“Our protocol requires that we dispatch a team within three minutes of being notified of an incident.

We are committed to maintaining that rapid response, and we are working to build the capacity to make it possible,” Mr Wumborti  added.