The Head of Dispatch for the Ghana National Ambulance Service in the Greater Accra Region, Joyce Avadzinu, has revealed that a critical shortage of ambulances is forcing emergency responders to ration their services.

According to her , only about 42 ambulances are currently available to serve the entire Greater Accra Region which places immense pressure on the region’s emergency response capacity.

Speaking to Citi News, she explained that dispatchers are often forced to prioritise only the most severe cases, sometimes delaying responses to less critical calls due to the limited fleet.

“We are managing because, with the 42 ambulances, most of them will be on cases at the time a request comes. So, if the case is in an inter-hospital referral and the patient can wait, we will make them wait.

Ms. Avadzinu noted that dispatchers often reserve a few ambulances specifically for life-threatening emergencies such as road traffic accidents or sudden collapses.

“As we make the dispatch, we try to keep some so that when there is a very severe emergency, like RTA, or sudden collapse, then we move them. So, anytime we move an ambulance, we alert the stations to be on standby. When they return then we can move them. Although this is difficult, we still have to manage with what we have,” she stated.

Despite the ongoing challenges, Ms. Avadzinu said her team is doing everything possible to maintain emergency response efficiency under the current constraints.