Ambulance Emergency Services and Healthcare Provision in Ghana: A District Level Performance Appraisal

Abstract

This study evaluates the benefits of a reliable and effective ambulance emergency
services towards healthcare provision at the district level in Ghana. It establishes
the relationship between ambulance emergency services, healthcare provision
and implications. A case study research approach is adopted to achieve the
objectives of the research. Purposive sampling procedure is used to select 100
respondents from the target population comprising people with the experience
of emergency cases and endured the service. The National Ambulance Service in
the district has contributed to filling the lapses created by the ambulance service
that hitherto operated in the district. The ambulance service is an effective
extension of the regular health system to inaccessible and/or traumatised members
of the district. The services are however being affected negatively by a perception
that ambulances carry dead bodies, they demand for money before patients are
transported by ambulances, the challenge of rising cost of fuel, inadequate number
of ambulances and failure of emergency patients in paying the agreed hospital
bills and emergency services. Public education on the ambulance and emergency
services is imperative to rid of these false perceptions. A district emergency fund
to help alleviate the heavy financial burdens on patients and their families will
increase the patronage of the ambulance and emergency services.