The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, has revealed that no ambulance was available to convey the late Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur to the hospital when he collapsed on Friday morning.
[contextly_sidebar id=”IHRosZQuN2vGjwzhsweimqDRqzYao6at”]Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, a friend of the late Vice President for nearly two decades, who was also present at the Airforce Gym where the incident occurred, said all those present, including Matilda Amissah-Arthur, the late veep’s wife, tried to resuscitate him but to no avail.
“We gathered around him and pumped his heart as hard as we could; yelled out his name. His wife was calling on Jesus, ‘save him’…. I just said, call the ambulance and let’s take him to the hospital.”
“Something dawned on me when we took him out, there was no ambulance, there was no car, we threw the former vice president in a pick-up, put him in the back and drove to 37 [Military Hospital],” the Okyenhene said.
Former Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur died on Friday morning at age 67.
An aide to the late Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who confirmed the death to Citi News said Amissah-Arthur collapsed at Airforce Gym on during a workout session and was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital.
But details of how his death occurred according to the Okyenhene who was among the few persons at the gym, appear to suggest that the former vice president was failed by the country’s health system evident in its lack of ambulances.
Citi FM recently rekindled conversation on the country’s ailing health sector and the accompanying non-existent emergency health care.
A 70-year-man also died after he spent over an hour in his private vehicle being transported through 7 hospitals for emergency care but was denied because there were no beds at all the facilities his family visited, including the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and 37 Military Hospital and Ridge Hospital.
According to health experts, an ideal situation was to have him transported via an ambulance where he could be given basic care and space arranged for him at a nearby hospital before he arrives at the facility for further treatment.
The government had earlier said that it was in the process of procuring 275 ambulances to be used in each constituency, but not much improvement has been seen with the system as many more Ghanaians continue to tell their harrowing experiences when it comes to receiving emergency healthcare in the country.
About Amissah-Arthur
Before becoming Veep in August 2012, he was Governor of the Bank of Ghana from 2009 to 2012.
From 1983 to 1986, Amissah-Arthur served as a special assistant to the Secretary of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwesi Botchwey under the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) government.
He also served as the Deputy Secretary for Finance in the PNDC government from February 1986 to March 1993.
From April 1993, he continued as the Deputy Minister for Finance in the under the Fourth Republic’s first government until March 1997.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur, 67, was appointed as Governor of the Bank of Ghana in October 2009 by then-President John Atta Mills.
He held that position until August 6, 2012, when he became Vice-President of Ghana following the death of Atta Mills.
He was survived by a wife and two children.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citinewsroom.com/Ghana