The Deputy Director of Planning, Policy, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPRME) at the National Ambulance Service (NAS), Dr Simon Akayiri Nyaaba, has disclosed that nearly all ambulances being operated by the service have exceeded their recommended operational lifespan of five to seven years, resulting in frequent breakdowns and increased maintenance challenges.
According to Dr Nyaaba, the NAS currently operates 323 ambulances across 319 stations nationwide, with the last major addition to its fleet being the acquisition of 307 ambulances in 2018.
He said the vehicles had now exceeded their useful lifespan due to the demands of emergency operations, which often involved long-distance referrals across the country.
“The manufacturer’s recommendation for an ambulance is that when it runs between five and seven years or 120,000 kilometres, you have to start looking at replacing it. Now our ambulances spend more time in the workshop than actually providing the care or the services that we are doing,” he said.
Dr Nyaaba disclosed this at the NAS 2025 Annual and 2026 Mid-year Performance Review Conference held in Accra yesterday.
The conference was held on the theme: “Beyond Transportation: Strengthening Prehospital Emergency Care, Stabilisation and Timely Patient Transfer.”
Spare parts
He said the ageing fleet had affected the service’s ability to meet the growing demand for emergency medical care, as some ambulances were spending extended periods in workshops instead of responding to emergencies.
Dr Nyaaba also identified access to spare parts as another major challenge facing the service, explaining that the condition of the ageing fleet had increased the frequency of repairs and replacements.
He said the NAS did not have sufficient stocks of spare parts to restore the faulty ambulances immediately.
“Because of the aged vehicles we are using now, we are frequently changing spare parts. The plan for replacement spare parts is also an issue for us because it is not a situation where we have all the spare parts in stock, so that anytime we need them, we can replace them immediately,” he said.
He, however, said steps were being taken to address the challenge, including plans by the Ministry of Health to procure 400 new ambulances for the service.
Dr Nyaaba said the NAS had reviewed and assessed proposals submitted to the ministry as part of the procurement process and expressed optimism that the acquisition would improve the fleet situation.
He also announced plans to establish a rapid response motorbike unit to reduce emergency response times, particularly in congested areas where ambulances struggle to reach patients quickly.
He stressed that the motorbikes would complement, rather than replace, ambulances by allowing emergency personnel to begin assessment and stabilisation before the ambulance arrives.
“The response at this instance will not be only when the ambulance arrives at the scene, but when the motorbike arrives and begins the assessment, then that is our response time while the ambulance is on the way to provide further care and transportation,” he said.
Transforming the ambulance service
The Chief Executive Officer of the NAS, Dr George Kojo Owusu, said the service was moving beyond its traditional role of transporting patients to becoming a provider of critical emergency medical interventions before hospital arrival.
He said modern ambulance services had evolved globally from being transport systems into providers of prehospital emergency care, a direction the NAS was adopting to improve survival outcomes.
“Our vision rests on three critical pillars: strengthening prehospital emergency care, stabilisation and timely patient transfer,” Dr Owusu said.
He added that the service would continue to invest in professional training, modern life-saving equipment, improved dispatch systems and stronger referral coordination with hospitals and other partners.
Dr Owusu commended the Emergency Medical Technicians and staff across the country for their commitment and professionalism. He also expressed appreciation to the government, the Ministry of Health, the Governing Board, development partners and stakeholders for their support.
