The Special Development Initiatives Secretariat has denied claims that a number of government ambulances parked at the Tafo Government Hospital have been abandoned.
The ambulances procured as part of the 1-Constituency 1-Ambulance initiative has been at the premises of the hospital for some time and has been widely reported by local media including Silver FM as vehicles that have been left to rot.
But a statement from the Special Development Initiatives Secretariat said each of the nine ambulances captured in the viral video has different mechanical faults, including some that had been damaged through road accidents.
Detailing the state of each of the captured ambulances, Napaga Tia Sulemana, the Coordinator for the Special Development Initiatives Secretariat, said the reports of the ambulances being abandoned are erroneous and disingenuous.
Below is the full statement:
ERRONEOUS NEWS REPORTAGE ON THE STATE OF SOME AMBULANCES AT THE SERVICE WORKSHOP IN KUMASI
The attention of the Special Development Initiatives (SDI) Secretariat has been drawn to a video posted on the Facebook page of the Silver FM/TV and subsequently carried by other media houses on the state of the ambulances commissioned last year under the government’s flagship “One- Constituency, One-Ambulance” initiative.
The video and accompanying commentary sought to portray that about 30 to 40 of the constituency ambulances, of which 9 (Sene-East, Wulensi, Offinso South, Lambussie, Kwadaso, Offinso North, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Bawku Central and Assin North) were captured in the video have been damaged with some parts removed and abandoned.
The status report on nine (9) constituency ambulances that were mentioned in the news reportage are as follows.
1. Sene East Constituency Ambulance – Diagnosis of the vehicle revealed a damaged engine electronic board. As a result, the vehicle is awaiting the installation of a new engine electronic board.
2. Offinso North Constituency Ambulance – The vehicle was involved in an accident on the 6th of July 2021. The workshop is awaiting completion of insurance processes to commence the repairs of the vehicle.
3. Offinso South Constituency Ambulance – On the 30th September, 2021, the vehicle reported to the workshop for servicing and released it that same day.
4. Bawku Central Constituency Ambulance – The vehicle was involved in an accident and was towed to the workshop on 13th January 2021. Till date, the vehicle has had its body repairs works completed and has been sent to a spraying shop.
5. Kwadaso Constituency Ambulance – The vehicle was involved in an accident on the 26th of June 2021, but the workshop completed the repairs in the 1st week of October, 2021. The ambulance is in operation.
6. Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Constituency Ambulance – On the 12th of November, 2020, the vehicle reported to the workshop due to an accident. However, due to delays with the insurance processes, repair works on the body of the ambulance started in May, 2021. The workshop has completed repairs on the exterior of the vehicle and has reached the interior part of the vehicle.
7. Wulensi Constituency Ambulance – The vehicle was involved in an accident on the 4th of June 2021. Repairs are yet to commence awaiting the completion of the insurance processes.
8. Assin North Constituency Ambulance – On the 24th of August 2021, the vehicle reported to the workshop for general servicing and has since returned to the constituency.
9. Lambussie Constituency Ambulance – The vehicle was involved in an accident on the 8th of December 2020. However, due to delays in the insurance processes, repair works on the vehicle delayed. The vehicle is currently at the spraying stage.
Based on these details, it is clear that the Silver TV/FM news reportage on the ambulances was disingenuous and erroneous. The media, in the exercise of their duties in relation to matters like this, are entreated always to seek clarification to avoid misinforming the public.
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Napaga Tia Sulemana
Coordinator, Special Development Initiatives Secretariat