The Chief Executive Officer of the National Ambulance Service (NAS), Dr. George Kojo Owusu has identified major constraints hampering Ghana’s emergency medical response and called for stronger support to safeguard the gains made over the past two decades.
Addressing the Emergency Medicine Society of Ghana (EMSOG) National Emergency Medicine Conference at KNUST, Dr. Owusu said despite the nationwide expansion of ambulance services, several systemic challenges continue to compromise rapid response and quality pre-hospital care.
He listed an aging ambulance fleet, inadequate medical equipment, funding delays, challenges in vehicle maintenance, fuel supply shortages, and the lack of towing and support vehicles as major limitations.
He further highlighted the absence of air and water ambulance capabilities, which affects service delivery in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Human resource constraints also pose a challenge, he added. Although NAS employs 3,377 staff, including EMTs, advanced EMTs, paramedics and administrative personnel, retaining highly skilled workers remains difficult.
Dr. Owusu also expressed concern over the persistent misuse of emergency lines, noting that prank calls continue to divert critical resources needed to save lives.
Additionally, the absence of fully operational legal instruments supporting the National Ambulance Service Act, 2020 (Act 1041), limits the Service’s ability to enforce standards and protect its operations.
Poor road networks, especially in rural communities, were also cited as a major barrier to timely response.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Owusu stressed that Ghana’s experience in building its emergency medical service from the ground up demonstrates that “local resilience can shape global excellence in pre-hospital emergency care.”
He urged policy-makers, partners and the public to support efforts aimed at strengthening the emergency care system for improved national health security.
