Ambulance As a ‘Pickup Truck’ For Cement: The Inside Story [Listen]

 

It has emerged that the ambulance used to transport bags of cement at Budumburam in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region was supposed to be in a garage for servicing.

According to reports, the mechanic, who worked on the ambulance, reportedly took it to convey cement.

In a video sighted by Adomonline.com, two men, believed to be workers at a cement shop, were captured busily packing the bags into the ambulance.

Also, a middle-aged man, clad in a pink Lacoste with a bald head, was seen directing people to pack the cement into the ambulance.

Prince Acquah, a journalist with Pink FM at Kasoa said he took the video on March 26, 2021 on his way home from work.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday, he said about 10 bags of cement were loaded into the ambulance with registration number GV 537-20.

Prince said checks he made at the National Ambulance Service revealed that, the ambulance belonged to the Sege constituency but developed a minor fault and was sent to Accra for servicing.

“I called the National Ambulance Service and they told me the vehicle was supposed to be at a garage for servicing. The person I spoke to was very surprised,” he stated.

Prince Acquah said all attempts to get the driver and more information about the ambulance proved futile because a resident raised alarm and he had to flee for his life.

 

Source: Adomonline

 

 

 

National Ambulance Service Has Explained That None Of Its Staff Involved:

 

The National Ambulance Service has explained that none of its staff was involved in the use of a government ambulance for the purchase and transportation of bags of cement as seen in a  video that has gone viral on social media.

The video shows a seemingly new ambulance with registration number GV 537-20 being loaded with bags of cement by some young men.

The video was recorded by a concerned citizen who wishes to remain anonymous according to Citi News’ Central Regional Correspondent, Calvis Tetteh.

The development sparked a huge debate on social media, with many criticizing the government for failing to ensure that they are being used appropriately for what they were intended for.

The Ambulance Service consequently despatched some officers to look into the matter.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the National Ambulance Service, Simon Yusif Kawula, who spoke on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, the ambulance was wrongly used by a mechanic who was tasked to repair a fault on it.

 

“The investigation we did revealed that this particular ambulance was being used by the mechanics of the suppliers. It is an ambulance under the 1 Constituency 1 Ambulance, and it is stationed at Sege. This ambulance developed a gearbox problem, so it was sent to the suppliers, so they also gave it to their mechanics at Mamprobi called Nana Ofosu Gearbox enterprise. After they fixed the problem and were doing a test drive, they drove to the Mallam – Cape Coast highway, and that was when they went to purchase cement. It was not the staff of the Ambulance Service who were using the ambulance at that time, but rather the mechanics,” he explained.

Mr. Kawula said an official complaint will be lodged with the police over the matter for further investigations.

He said the incident occurred in March 2021, but the Ambulance Service’s attention was drawn to the development only when the video went viral on social media.

Later in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, the Ambulance Service confirmed that the incident happened specifically on March 26, 2021.

It also says that the Ambulance “is still in the custody of Service Ghana Autogroup Ltd., and therefore not being used by the paramedics of the National Ambulance Service. It is thus not part of the National Ambulance Service Fleet”, the statement said.

The Manager of the depot where the bags of cement were bought says he feels bad about the incident.

Meanwhile, the police have begun investigations after the National Ambulance Service lodged a formal complaint.

 

Source: Citinewsroom

 

 

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