Accra, May 31, GNA – Dr Foster Ansong-Dridjan, First Prosecution Witness in the trial involving Dr Ato Forson and two others, says there were no medical equipment in the ambulance that the team of four inspected at the forecourts of the State House.
He said they were looking to see patient monitoring equipment, including patient monitor, blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, glucometer, and pulse oximeter.
Dr Ansong-Dridjan, who is the Acting Head of Operations at the Ambulance Service, said this to the court in his evidence in chief.
The witness also said the observations were made when he joined the team to conduct an inspection on ten ambulances procured by the government at the forecourt of the State House in 2015.
Dr Ansong-Dridjan, who had worked with the Service for 18 years, said other members of the team include the late George Ashie and Mr Selorm Klutse.
Dr Forson, a Former Deputy Minister of Finance, was granted a self-recognisance bail of GH¢3 million for allegedly wilfully causing financial loss of 2,370,000 euros to the State.
He is also facing an additional charge of “Intentionally misapplying public property contrary to section 1 (2) of the Public Property Protection Act, 1977 (SMCD 140).”
Dr Anemana, a Former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health was also granted a bail of one million Ghana Cedis with three sureties one of whom shall be a public servant not below the rank of a director.
While Mr Dzakpa, a Businessman, was also granted bail of five million Ghana Cedis with three sureties one of whom must be justified with documents of landed property.
The witness said the next equipment they were looking to see was resuscitation equipment, which would include bag valve mask, suction machine, portable ventilator, and an automatic external defibrillator.
Dr Ansong-Bridjan said they were also looking at immobilisation equipment, including a spine board, splints of various types or sizes, head block and cervical collars, which were not in the ambulance.
He said the seats in the driver compartment were also made with material, which could not easily be cleaned without soaking it with water.
The emergency numbers were also missing from the body of the ambulances.
He told the Court that the findings and recommendations from their observations were communicated in a report to the Minister of Health through the Chief Executive Officer of the Service.
He said during the inspection, they observed that the red, gold, and green colours were not properly done and could easily be peeled off.
He said the ambulances were without any fitted lights for operations at night, and that the patient compartment had a trolley that were low and without seatbelts.
He said in conducting the inspection, they first went round the ambulance, opened all doors and bonnet as a way of commencing the inspection.
The witness said the word “ambulance”, should have been written in reverse order but not done.
He told the court that before the Government purchased ambulances for the Service, the Service normally played a role by sending specifications.
He said when that happened they got involved in the evaluation processes, with a team from Ghana visiting the factory manufacturing the vehicle to inspect the prototype.
The witness said mid-way through the manufacturing, a visit was paid to inspect what had been produced so far and then a final visit was done before shipment to Ghana.
“Upon arrival in Ghana, we conduct another post inspections before it is commissioned,” he said.
Under cross examination led by Dr Abdul Basit Aziz Bamba, Counsel for Dr Forson asked the witness when they moved the ambulances to the Airforce Base at the Burma Camp, but the witness said, “I cannot give the exact date, but it is not far after the inspection was conducted.”
Asked how the ambulances were driven, the witness said they were driven by Officers from the Service.
The case has been adjourned to June 3, 2022, for continuation.
GNA