The government has been urged to establish an effective healthcare system for the nation by the vice president of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).
If this is not done, Dr. Justice Yankson warned that the problem of ambulance fuel prices will persist. He claims that the delay in patient transfer by the ambulance service is to blame.
He argued that occasionally ambulances delay even though the patient is prepared to pay for the cost of the gasoline since there aren't any beds available right away for the patient.
According to Dr. Justice Yankson, the ambulance service will occasionally have to carry the patient about the city until its fuel runs out while looking for a bed.
"Sometimes you even will call and be able to supply the fuel until you are able to inform them that there is a dedicated bed at another facility to receive the patient, they (Ambulance service) are not ready to move reason being that they have to move the ambulance around all the facilities that have the resources even though they are insufficient to take care of emergencies and they might never get the bed.
The patient is on the stretcher, and when they get the patient back into the ambulance, they manoeuvre about and run out of gasoline before you can say "Jack." It has already occurred and will continue to occur, especially given the present gasoline price system that we have, where Because of the price, we are all perspiring. Thus, I see a fairly straightforward path ahead. The nation needs to have a good healthcare system, and we need reliable financial sources.
On Wednesday, July 20, he appeared on Joy FM's Super Morning Show with Kojo Yankson.
He made his remarks in response to the recent revelation by the CEO of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) that his staff had previously requested GH 600 from a pregnant woman's husband before consenting to transfer the patient.
Due to the service officers' delay, the patient, 30-year-old nursing mother Augustina Awortwe, passed away in transport.
The admission was made by Prof. Ahmed Nuhu Zakaria on Monday, July 18, when he appeared before the ad hoc committee assembled by Parliament to look into the event, and it served to support the GH 600 charge.
He claims that it is common practise.
"We were informed they had run out of petrol because it was close to the celebrations. The hospital received word that they didn't have enough fuel and would require GH 600 in support of gasoline.
The crew claims that they were given the go-ahead to proceed because the hospital planned to make arrangements—directly or indirectly—with the patient's relatives to obtain fuel support. Therefore, it was assumed that the patient's husband would offer that assistance, he added.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Tuesday, July 19, on the same programme, a man named Seidu Abdul Gafaru described the struggle his family went through with the NAS after his brother was hit by a car.
He said that Seidu Mohammed, his brother, had a brain injury in the collision and was sent to the Damongo Government Hospital.
When his family arrived at the hospital, he claimed they were informed that he needed to be sent immediately to the Tamale Teaching Hospital. He claimed that when the team running the ambulance that was supposed to transfer his brother requested GH 700 for petrol, that is when their true horror began.
Seidu said that the family didn't have that amount on hand.
Seidu claimed that when his brother arrived at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, he was declared dead.
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