The Head of Dispatch at the Ghana National Ambulance Service for the Greater Accra Region, Joyce Avadzinu, has revealed that the region is grappling with a severe shortage of ambulances, significantly hampering timely emergency responses.

In an interview with Citi FM, Ms Avadzinu disclosed that only 42 ambulances are currently operational across the entire region.

This constraint has compelled the service to ration their deployment, with dispatchers forced to reserve vehicles for only the most life-threatening emergencies.

“We are managing because, with the 42 ambulances, most of them are already out on calls when new requests come in. If it’s an inter-hospital transfer and the patient can wait, we ask them to do so,” she said.

“We deliberately hold back some ambulances for serious cases like road traffic accidents or sudden collapses.”

She explained that the limited fleet requires constant coordination with individual ambulance stations.

Dispatchers must keep track of the vehicles in use and adjust deployment in real time to ensure that emergency coverage is maintained.

“So, anytime we dispatch an ambulance, we alert other stations to be on standby. Once the vehicle returns, it can be redeployed. It is far from ideal, but we are doing our best with the resources at our disposal,” Ms Avadzinu added.