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Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health, has said government would continue in its efforts to resource the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to improve on its emergency response capabilities.

The aim of the government, he said, was to administer, maintain and operate a nationwide comprehensive emergency medical services system that was designed to reduce medical emergency deaths, injuries and permanent long-term disabilities through the implementation of a fully integrated cohesive network of related components.

The system would provide for the arrangement of personnel, facilities and such equipment primarily in the pre-hospital setting for the effective and coordinated delivery of health care services under emergency conditions whether occurring as a result of the patient’s condition, natural disasters or other causes.

Mr Agyeman-Manu was speaking at the passing out parade of the 9th batch of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) at the Paramedics and Emergency Care Training School (PECTS) at Nkenkaasu in the Offinso North District.

Four Hundred and ninety-five (495) recruits were admitted into the NAS.

The Minister said morbidities and mortalities caused by long-term sensitive illnesses and injuries such as severe infections, road traffic accidents, respiratory infections, intentional and unintentional injuries, postpartum bleeding and heart diseases could be reduced drastically through an efficient emergency medical service system or ambulance service.

The government therefore sees EMTs and for that matter, ambulance service as a critical component of the nation’s emergency and trauma care system.

That was why it has through the policy of the One Constituency-One Ambulance, under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), procured 307 ambulances to be distributed throughout the country, he said.

The objective is to revamp the fleet of the NAS and increase coverage of pre-hospital emergency care services in every constituency in the country, Mr Agyeman-Manu.

The government, with the support of the World Bank, through the Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Policy, has also procured 10 pick-up vehicles for the NAS to enhance monitoring of ambulance service activities across the country.

Management of NAS had also developed a Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols to ensure uniformity in care given to patients in pre-hospital setting across the country.

Mr Agyeman-Manu pledged government’s support to improve facilities at the training school to enable it train highly skilled manpower for NAS to help it deliver quality emergency services.

Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, in an address read for him, pledged the support of the Regional Coordinating Council to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), to set up ambulance stations in each constituency to help promote emergency care services, especially in rural communities.

Mr David Kwasi Asare, DCE for Offinso North, appealed to the Ministry of Health to improve facilities at the training school to increase enrolment.

Nana Wiafe Akenten II, Paramount Chief of Offinso Traditional Area, in an address read for him, thanked the NAS for establishing the school in the area.

He appealed to government to upgrade facilities in the school to attract job opportunities for the people in the area.