Government has handed over Toyota Hilux pickup vehicles to seventeen (17) health directorates in the Ashanti Region.
The vehicles will support public health-related activities, improve and strengthen disease surveillance in the region.
The vehicles which are all 2018 models, cost GHc3,214,976.08.
Speaking after handing over the vehicles to officials at the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Elizabeth Ashanti admonished the beneficiary directorates to ensure proper and effective maintenance of the vehicles.
She expressed worry over how some persons use official vehicles for their personal purposes.
She said the Government was aware of the critical role the vehicles will play in ensuring quality healthcare delivery in the country and hence its decision to procure them for the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
“Sometimes, you go to some villages and you realize there are no vehicles to convey the sick to the hospital. So if these vehicles are given to the directorates, I think it is in order. The Director General of the Ghana Health Services and the Minister of Health have done well by giving the Ashanti Region a fair share of the vehicles that have been brought into the country,” she said.
The Deputy Regional Minister appealed to the Ministry of Health (MoH) to ensure the remaining districts in the region who have not received the vehicles.
Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Health Services (GHS), Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang said the lack of vehicles for the directorates had affected operations of health workers especially those who work in the hinterlands.
He stressed on the need for proper maintenance of the vehicles and indicated that the vehicles will be put to good use for quality healthcare delivery.
Dr Tenkorang commended Government for the invention and appealed for more to be given to the remaining districts.