The Ambulance Service of Ghana has reacted to the allegations of unprofessionalism of their personnel which caused the death of a pregnant woman in the Western Region on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
In an exclusive interview with the National Ambulance Service Deputy Director Public Relations Mr. Simmons Yussif Kewura stated that around 3:30pm the control room received a call from the Fijai Holy Child Hospital in Takoradi to transfer a woman (deceased) who has undergone a cesarean section with complications to Korle-Bu in the Greater Accra Region for further medical attention.
He said, the control room engaged the hospital Authorities on how much should be paid which was Gh¢600.00 so they can buy fuel but the hospital Authorities told the Ambulance Personnel that the husband of the woman will be picked at Assorko Essaman a suburb of Sekondi Takoradi.
On their way close to the Assorko town where the husband was to be picked, another call from the Ambulance control room asked them to go back and pick the day old baby who was left at the Holy Child Hospital.
“The Hospital Authorities paid the Gh¢600.00 to the Ambulance Personnel when they got back to pick the day old baby” he stated.
He explained that due to the Christmas Festivities and the duties the ambulance undertook, fuel was low and since Monday January 3, 2022 was a holiday the following Tuesday, January 4th, when the distress call came, the ambulance was yet to be refilled so it was stated that money will be provided by the husband.
When they however picked him up at Assorkor Essaman, he said he was without funds to refuel the ambulance. He said it was then also that a call came from Holy Child Hospital that there is need to come for the day old baby to be with the mother during her treatment since they could not determine how many days she will be away.
The personnel after picking the baby went to the fuel station to fuel the ambulance in which a copy of receipt was handed to John Obiri Yeboah husband of the deceased and duplicate was kept by the personnel as well.
On their way to Korle-Bu, when they got to Komenda in the Central Region the case of the woman was getting more serious so the critical nurse who was on board together with the personnel decided to drive to nearest hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital but when they arrived the patient now deceased was pronounced dead on arrival.
The Deputy Director Public Relations, Mr. Simmons Yussif Kewura noted that since the incident happened during the weekend and came to their attention on the 7th January, Management of the Ambulance Service has set up an investigation team to probe further and report according.
“We are going to investigate the matter and whatever be the case we will communicate back to the public” he said.
