Catholic Relief Services (CRS), with funding from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), has handed over six renovated and expanded National Ambulance Service (NAS) facilities across northern Ghana to strengthen emergency referral and transport services.

The facilities are located in the Talensi and Nabdam Districts in the Upper East Region, Mamprugu Moagduri District in the North East Region, Yendi and Nanumba North Municipalities in the Northern Region, and Central Gonja District in the Savannah Region.

The intervention forms part of the three-year Holistic Opportunities for Positive Engagement in Maternal and Child Health (HOPE-MCH) Project, which seeks to improve maternal, newborn and child health by strengthening support at the family, community, health facility and health system levels.

Speaking on behalf of the CRS Country Representative at the Talensi district handover ceremony, Health Program Manager at CRS Ghana, Adam Haliq, said strengthening emergency response systems was critical to ensuring timely access to lifesaving care.

“Every minute matters when a mother, newborn, or child needs urgent medical attention,” he said, adding that the project was strengthening systems that connect people to lifesaving care, particularly in communities where distance and difficult terrain could delay access to timely care.

Talensi District Chief Executive, John Millim Naabwomya, described the renovation of the National Ambulance Service Office as more than a physical upgrade, stressing the importance of collaboration among institutions and development partners in achieving sustainable development.

“Our district ambulance was out of service for a long time. Under my leadership, we were able to mobilise resources to purchase an engine and other essential parts to repair it and get it back on the road”, he said.

“Sustainable development is achieved when institutions and partners work together around a common purpose”.
The Member of Parliament for Talensi, Daniel Mahama Dung, said efforts to restore and improve ambulance services in the area dated back to 2024.

He explained that following the renovation of the facility, he supported efforts to address some of its immediate needs, including the provision of water, which he said was made available within two or three weeks.

The MP called for continued support for healthcare delivery in the constituency, stressing that stakeholders should look beyond the ambulance service and support the wider health needs of the community.

Receiving the facilities on behalf of the National Ambulance Service, Deputy Director for Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Simon Akayire Nyaaba, expressed appreciation to CRS and LDS for supporting the Service.

He said the improved offices, together with emergency vehicles and dispatch systems provided under the project, would strengthen the operational foundation of the National Ambulance Service and enable personnel to coordinate more effectively and respond to communities when emergency care is needed.

As part of the wider HOPE-MCH intervention, CRS has also provided the National Ambulance Service with 40 Modified Motor-Tricycle Ambulances and 10 motorcycles to improve emergency response in hard-to-reach communities.

The six renovated facilities complement these investments and are expected to improve the capacity of the National Ambulance Service to provide timely emergency referral and transport services, particularly for women, newborns and children in underserved communities.