The Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Desmond Boateng, represented by Dr. Hafiz Adam, Director of Technical Coordination, has outlined a transformative policy shift in Ghana’s emergency healthcare system, calling for a decisive move away from basic patient transportation toward comprehensive prehospital care, stabilization, and swift hospital transfers.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Director at the National Ambulance Service (NAS) Annual and Mid-Year Performance Review Conference in Accra, Dr. Adam emphasized that life-saving interventions delivered before a patient reaches a hospital door remain the single most critical factor in emergency survival rates. The conference was held under the theme “Beyond Transport: Strengthening Prehospital Emergency Care, Stabilisation and Timely Patient Transfer.”
Addressing executive leadership, regional managers, and frontline medical personnel, Dr. Adam stressed that Ghana’s health system must treat prehospital management as a foundational pillar of emergency medicine.
Prehospital Care as a Critical Lifeline
Dr. Adam highlighted that outcomes in trauma, cardiac arrest, stroke, and obstetric complications are fundamentally determined during the “golden hour”—the critical window between emergency onset and definitive medical care.
“The interventions delivered at the scene—swift assessment, early stabilisation, appropriate management of airways and circulation, and pain management—are not incidental. They are foundational,” Dr. Adam stated, reinforcing that every ambulance must operate as an active emergency care environment rather than a simple transit vehicle.
To support this evolution, he announced that the Ministry of Health is committed to strengthening clinical governance frameworks, updating protocols to align with international best practices, and expanding ongoing training in advanced life support for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) nationwide.
Tackling Operational Realities and Handover Bottlenecks
While commending the National Ambulance Service for expanding its regional reach and improving response times, Dr. Adam spoke candidly about persistent operational hurdles, including fleet maintenance, fuel logistics, human resource constraints, and geographic barriers in underserved areas.
A central focus of his address was the urgent need to resolve delays during patient handovers at receiving health facilities. Dr. Adam called for enhanced coordination between the National Ambulance Service and receiving facilities—including teaching, regional, and district hospitals—to establish seamless referral protocols, precise clinical documentation, and immediate admission into emergency departments.
Strategic Priorities for the Second Half of the Year
Addressing NAS leadership and operational personnel, Dr. Adam outlined four key priorities to guide the Service moving forward:
* Clinical Excellence: Continuous professional development and specialized advanced life support certification.
* Hospital Coordination: Standardized referral networks and pre-notification systems to prepare emergency rooms before an ambulance arrives.
* Data-Driven Operations: Enhanced data collection and real-time analysis to optimize unit dispatching and fleet management.
* Public Education: Nationwide outreach to inform citizens on proper emergency number utilization and urging motorists to yield right-of-way.
Closing his remarks on behalf of the Chief Director, Dr. Adam reaffirmed the Ministry of Health’s total support in policy, resources, and partnership, praising frontline dispatchers, paramedics, and support staff for their dedicated service to the nation.
