A national programme under which vehicles will be positioned at strategic communities throughout the country to offer ambulance services is expected to begin in September this year. Consequently, 161 ambulances are being imported to augment the current fleet to support the programme. The programme, which has already begun on a pilot basis in the Bole District, is expected to reduce maternal mortality to a significant level. The Vice President, Mr John Mahama, made this known when he paid a visit to the Bole District Hospital as part of his two-day working visit to the district. Similarly, he said, the government was making a huge intervention to improve the patient-doctor ratio and that the Cuban Government was being contacted to send medical personnel to address the problem of shortage of doctors. Mr Mahama announced that a strategic plan to minimise mother-to-child transmission of HIV / AIDS was also underway. He appealed to the members of the community to give maximum co-operation and respect to health personnel posted to the area and ensure their safety. The Vice-President said in order to provide adequate quality health delivery in the country, the district assemblies were being encouraged to build more health facilities. He said all feeder roads would be upgraded to reduce the frequent breakdown of ambulances. The Bole District Director of Health Services, Mr Emmanuel Ewum Tomah, appealed to the government to review tariffs under the National Health Insurance Scheme upwards to prevent the collapse of the scheme. He also appealed for assistance to enable the district to check the rampant environmental degradation arising from the activities of illegal miners which had affected the construction of roads in the area. He commended the government for choosing the Bole District Hospital for the establishment of a midwifery school to train more personnel. Source: Daily Graphic