The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has launched a round-the-clock engineering operation to restore grounded ambulances and clear its central workshop of vehicles that are no longer serviceable.
Dubbed Operation Restore Fleet, the intervention is aimed at reducing vehicle downtime and ensuring that every ambulance that can be repaired is returned to the road as quickly as possible.
The exercise follows concerns raised in a recent media report about the condition of some NAS ambulances, prompting Management to intensify efforts to address the situation.
A visit to the NAS central workshop showed engineers and technicians working around the clock to repair ambulances that have developed major faults after more than six years of continuous operation across the country.
NAS Chief Executive Officer, Dr. (Med.) George Kojo Owusu, said the 307 ambulances procured in 2020 under the “one-ambulance-per-constituency” initiative had been operating continuously on difficult terrain, making major repairs inevitable for some vehicles.
“For over six years, the 307 ambulances procured in 2020 to ensure one-ambulance-per-constituency have been working 24/7 on very difficult terrains. It is normal that a portion of the fleet will require major repairs, specialized Mercedes-Benz parts, and assessment after accidents. What we are doing now is working around the clock to restore them,” he said.
As part of the operation, NAS says ambulances that are beyond economic repair will be permanently removed from the central workshop. The move is expected to decongest the facility and create more space for technicians to work on vehicles that can be restored.
Dr. Owusu also disclosed that Management is engaging two additional qualified auto mechanics to support the existing workshop staff, who he said are currently too few relative to the volume of work.
Beyond the immediate repairs, NAS has engaged the Ministry of Health with a comprehensive plan covering sustainable procurement of spare parts and the establishment of regional maintenance capacity.
According to Management, the longer-term measures are intended to prevent a recurrence of the accumulation of grounded ambulances at the central workshop.
Dr. Owusu assured the public that despite the challenges, all 16 regions remain operational at varying levels of functionality and continue to respond to emergencies through the 112 emergency line.
“Our commitment remains unchanged: timely care saves lives. We are not at rest; we are at work to ensure that when Ghanaians call 112, help will come,” he emphasised.
NAS says Operation Restore Fleet is expected to be completed within the coming weeks, with regular updates to be provided to the public on progress.
