Omanghana
The government has announced plans to refurbish and deploy 30 defective ambulances that have remained parked at the Ghana Air Force Base at Burma Camp for several years.
The development follows legal clearance from the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, allowing the Ministry of Health and the National Ambulance Service to hand the vehicles over to National Security.
The ambulances formed part of a 2012 government contract to procure 200 emergency vehicles to improve healthcare delivery across Ghana. The first batch of 30 vehicles, reportedly purchased for about €3.5 million, became the subject of controversy after they arrived in the country.
Inspections reportedly found that the vehicles were standard Sprinter buses that had not been properly converted into ambulances. They lacked essential medical equipment, life-support systems and other accessories required for emergency operations.
In 2017, then-Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu declared the vehicles unfit for their intended purpose. The procurement subsequently resulted in criminal proceedings against former government officials accused of causing financial loss to the state.
As the legal case continued, the vehicles remained unused at Burma Camp and gradually deteriorated.
Under the government’s new recovery plan, National Security will supervise a comprehensive technical assessment and refurbishment of the vehicles. The State Transport Company has already conducted an initial inspection to determine their condition and the work required to make them operational.
The rehabilitation process is expected to include mechanical repairs, bodywork and the installation of appropriate medical and life-support equipment.
After the vehicles have been refurbished, inspected and certified as roadworthy and medically fit, they will be integrated into the National Ambulance Service fleet to support emergency healthcare operations across the country.
The initiative is intended to recover value from the state assets and prevent the vehicles from deteriorating further after years of inactivity.
Source: Omanghana
