Dr John Tampouri, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ho Teaching Hospital, has described as timely the release of 18 state-of-the-art ambulances to the Region.

He said the Region had been leaning on just one of the crucial vehicles, which he said broke down yesterday, and that with the arrival of the 18 ambulances, emergency health delivery would be enhanced.

Dr Tampouri, also the Volta Regional Coordinator of the National Ambulance Service, was speaking at an event in Ho to handover the ambulances to the various constituencies.

“The commissioning of the Ambulances by the President is timely. There is only one working ambulance in the Region, which broke down yesterday, and we are grateful to government for coming in to save the Region from a very serious state of affair,” he said.

“With these, we will hit the ground running and solve most emergency healthcare challenges.”

Dr Tampouri called on all stakeholders to ensure the vehicles were maintained to achieve the vision of improving pre hospital systems in the country.

Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, said the procurement of the field ambulances was part of Government’s commitment to equipping the National Ambulance Service to effectively respond to emergencies.

He mentioned how the Region “struggled” for ambulances during emergencies, and commended the 66 Artillery Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces for releasing their ambulance during dire moments.

“We the people in the Volta Region are very happy that this unique intervention has brought great relief to us. Lives lost as a result of the lack of ambulances would be a thing of the past,” Dr Letsa said.

He called on municipal and district chief executives to take personal interest in the management of the ambulances and ensure that officers and supervisors of the Ambulance Service put them to the desired use.

He charged the drivers to respond promptly to all emergencies, and cautioned them against speeding and reckless driving, saying all must work to keep the ambulances in service over a long period of time.

Mr Kwasi Tsibu Yirenkyi, the Regional Director of the National Road Safety Commission, told the Ghana News Agency that most road accidents could be avoided if ambulances were readily available and expressed gratitude to the Government for the intervention.

“Most fatalities are because casualties were not handled well. These ambulances would enhance our work and reduce fatalities during road accidents,” he said, adding that with proper management the vehicles should last a decade.