By Philip Tengzu
Wa, (UW/R), Sept. 8, GNA – The deplorable road networks, coupled with difficulty in accessing the national ambulance services is making it difficult for the residents of deprived communities in the Upper West Region who require emergency referrals to secondary health facilities.
In many situations, such patients, including pregnant women in labour and children, are transported in pick-ups, tricycles (Aboboya/Motorking), and motorbikes, which sometimes leads to preventable deaths.
Deprived communities in the Wa East and Wa West Districts are no exception, as patients in these areas continue to face challenges of accessing healthcare due to poor transportation services, either from home or referrals from primary facilities.
To help address the challenge, the Rotaract Club of Accra East Legon, Rotary Clubs of Wa, Cambridge, Bedford Kyoto South, Concord, Boston, and Berlin International, in partnership with Moving Health, with support from the Rotary Foundation, have commissioned five tricycle ambulances for five communities in the two districts to improve emergency transportation and access to healthcare services.
The beneficiary communities are Vieri and Eggu in the Wa West District and Kataah, Kpaglahi and Kulkpong communities in the Wa East District.
The partners have also trained stakeholders responsible for the ambulance operation, including the Community Health Management Committee, Health Staff, and drivers, with technical support from the National Ambulance Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Moving Health to ensure their effective use to serve the intended purpose.
Speaking at the training workshop in Wa, Mr Stephen Mwinkaara, a Past President of the Rotary Club of Wa, said the initiative is informed by the difficulties in transporting patients, particularly on referral, in the beneficiary communities.
He said the provision of the ambulances is not only about acquiring the vehicles but ensuring that they are properly managed and used to serve the intended communities.
Mr Mwinkaara, also Projects Director of the Club, urged leaders of the beneficiary communities to take ownership of the assets and assume responsibility for their proper use and maintenance.
He said mechanics had been engaged to train relevant personnel and support the communities in maintaining and servicing the tricycles to prolong their lifespan.
Mr Samuel Naah Yendor of the Wa East District Health Directorate expressed appreciation to the benefactors for the intervention and said transportation challenges had made it difficult to refer patients to higher-level facilities.
“Most often we have health challenges due to the non-availability of transport. There are instances where we have clients that we need to refer, but what to take the person to the next facility becomes a problem,” he explained.
Mr Yendor said the tricycle ambulances will, therefore, enable health workers to transport patients promptly to appropriate facilities and contribute to reducing preventable deaths.
Mr Alhassan Balal-Ahmed of the Wa West District Health Directorate described the tricycle ambulances as “a lifeline to save a life” and urged health workers and community members to use them effectively whenever emergency referrals are required.
Mr Balal-Ahmed said proper maintenance of the vehicles was critical to sustaining the initiative and improving healthcare delivery in the beneficiary communities.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Philip Tengzu, GNA
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]