Ambulance Service grinds to a halt in UWR
The National Ambulance Service (NAS) in the Upper West Region (UWR), which provides emergency medical services in the region, is gradually grinding to a halt. This is because four out of the nine vehicles operating in the various districts have broken down between June 2014 and October this year.
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The affected areas are the Wa Municipality, Wa-East, Wa West and Nadowli districts.
In an interview, the Administrative Officer in charge of the NAS in the region, Mr Osumanu Mahmoud, said at the moment, the vehicles were operational in five districts in the region. These are: Lawra, Nandom, Sissala East, Sissala West and Jirapa districts. The two newly created districts, Lambussie/Karni and Daffiama/Bussie/Issa do not have such facilities.
Emergency calls
Mr Osumanu also said the situation had compelled the authorities to turn down all emergency calls in the Wa Municipality and the other affected districts because the vehicles lacked certain facilities that were essential in the provision of emergency services.
He explained that these vehicles were usually equipped to render emergency services to victims of road traffic accidents; maternal services, severe medical conditions and domestic accidents, among other disasters. As a result of the breakdowns the authorities could not respond to emergency calls.
“The total cost of maintenance of the broken-down vehicle for Wa Municipality, for instance, is GH¢9,000,” he said, adding that at the moment personnel on duty were helpless.
Appeal to government
He, therefore, pleaded with the government to release some funds to save the situation.
Mr Osumanu said apart from the vehicles, other factors such as lack of an office accommodation, a garage for the vehicles, lack of places of convenience, water and disinfectants to disinfect the vehicle after attending to an accident case, were hampering their smooth operations in the region.
He added that in the Wa Municipality, which serves as a referral point, they operated in only one dilapidated room, which serves as a control room, office, crew room and store room for their consumables and other drugs.
This room, he reiterated, had no proper ventilation. Also, mice had been entering it and destroying vital documents due to the faulty door and worn-out window nets, among others problems.
