The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has held its 11th passing out parade at the Paramedic and Emergency Care Training School (PECTS) at Nkenkaasu in the Offinso District of the Ashanti Region.

The parade is the 6th to be held at PECTS where 393 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) basic, were passed out.

This brought together several dignitaries from the various spheres of life. Notable among them was Deputy Minister for Health, Tina Mensah, who also served as the reviewing Officer of the parade.

Others were: Deputy Minister for Health, Mahama Asei Seini, Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Augustine Collins Ntim, also the MP for the area, Chief Executive for Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr Oheneba Danso, Regional Director of Ghana Health Service, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, Technical Advisor at the Special Development Initiative Secretariat at the Office of the President, Dr Baffour Awuah.

The rest includes; service commanders such as Brigadier General Joseph Aduko Aphor, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Chief Superintendent Wonkyi representing the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, MTTD Regional Commander Superintendent Emmanuel Adu Boahen.

The 393 newly trained EMTs bring the total number of staff of the National Ambulance Service to 3,016.

The Batch 11 EMTs were made up of 199 males and 194 females.

Addressing the EMTs, the Deputy Minister for Health, Mrs. Tina Mensah commended the National Ambulance Service for their hard work and dedication to duty over the past years to save lives.

She expressed her happiness with the Management of NAS for turning out this large number of EMTs within one year.

She said, "l commend the instructors, facilitators and Ambulance Service as a whole for their dedication towards the training of EMTs to help bring emergency services to the doors steps of Ghanaians."

She added that it is worth mentioning that candidates who apply to join the NAS are trained to carry out procedures such as bleeding control, positive pressure ventilation with a bag valve mask, and insertion into oropharyngeal airways to maintain a patent airway.

Madam Tina Mensah stated that the Ministry of Health, owes a great gratitude to the late Offinso Hene, Nana Wiafe Akenten ll, for his passion for EMS in Ghana and releasing the facility to the National Ambulance Service in spite of numerous requests from other institutions.

She disclosed that the Paramedic and Emergency Care Training School has a long-term goal of becoming the training center for paramedics in the sub-region. It will also serve as a centre for refresher courses for Emergency Physicians, Critical Care Nurses and other paramedics in the country.

The Acting President of Offinso Traditional Council, Nana Opoku Duah ll encouraged the government to do well and expand the school.

The Chief made a passionate appeal to President Akufo-Addo to give "PECTS the needed facelift. On behalf of the Queen Mother and the people of Offinso, Nana Opoku Duah II urged President Akufo-Addo to include PECTS infrastructural expansion in his priority projects."

Nana Opoku Duah ll assured the Management of NAS that the people of Offinso shall never engage the Service in any standoff.

The event also saw the outdooring of NAS' new 'Camouflage' uniform.