Only 42 ambulances serving Greater Accra — Dispatch Head reveals

Joyce Avadzinu is the Head of Dispatch for the Ghana National Ambulance Service in Greater Accra. She has revealed a critical shortage of ambulances. This shortage forces dispatchers to ration emergency responses.

Currently, only about 42 ambulances are available for the entire region. This situation puts significant strain on emergency services. Ms. Avadzinu explained that dispatchers must prioritize severe cases.

“With just 42 ambulances, many are already on calls,” she said. If a case involves an inter-hospital referral and can wait, they will delay it. “We try to keep some ambulances ready for very severe emergencies,” she added.

Dispatchers coordinate with ambulance stations to ensure availability for critical situations. “Whenever we move an ambulance, we alert the stations to be on standby,” she stated. Although this process is challenging, they manage with limited resources.