By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu, GNA
Akatsi (V/R), Aug. 20, GNA – The Akatsi South Municipality, in the Volta Region, is hosting the 55th Inter-district Sports Festival without a functioning ambulance service on standby, a situation that has raised serious concerns about the safety of athletes participating in the week-long competition.
The festival, which brought together contingents from all the 18 districts in the Volta Region, commenced on August 17, and is expected to climax on August 22, with various track, field, and other sporting disciplines being contested.
Despite the scale of the competition, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) has gathered that no ambulance had been stationed at the venue to respond to emergencies, a lapse that could prove costly should any athlete sustain a serious injury during the games.
Sources close to the organisers told the GNA that ambulances belonging to some of the participating districts were in poor mechanical condition, while others simply did not possess any at all, leaving a huge gap in emergency preparedness for the event.
Some stakeholders who spoke to the GNA expressed their worry that since Akatsi South was hosting all the 18 districts for the festival, the Municipal Assembly and organisers could have secured at least an ambulance from any of the participating districts to be on standby throughout the competition.
They expressed worry that in the event of a medical emergency, athletes would have to relied on private or commercial vehicles to be rushed to the nearest hospital, a delay that could worsen injuries or, in extreme cases, endanger lives.
They noted that an ambulance service was critical to any major sporting event to ensure rapid response, enable injured athletes to receive immediate medical attention, which was often crucial in trauma cases.
” An ambulance is equipped with basic life-support equipment and trained personnel who can stabilise a patient’s condition on the spot before onward referral, which reduces the risk of complications arising from delayed care.”
Mr Israel Ameku, a spectator, said that having a dedicated ambulance service could help the event organisers meet basic safety and risk-management standards expected of sporting competitions, shielding the host municipality and Regional Sports authorities from any liability in the event of an unfortunate incident.
The GNA also gathered that upon conclusion of the festival on Friday, all athletes selected to represent the Volta Region would be camped from Saturday to Monday, ahead of their departure to Accra on Tuesday for the Inter-Regional Sports Festival, making it even more imperative for the organisers to urgently address the ambulance gap.
The GNA however observed that security and other young red cross personnel were put on standby to monitor the situation and provide the necessary support within their capacity.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo