The Director General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Major Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon (Rtd), has emphasised the need for proactive disaster prevention through early warning systems, public education, and robust inter-agency collaboration.
He made these remarks on Friday, in Accra, during a strategic meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the National Ambulance Service (NAS), Dr George Kojo Owusu, to deepen cooperation and enhance coordinated emergency response across the country.
The Director General pointed to the successful management of the 2025 Bagre Dam spillage as an example of how effective preparedness can be achieved, noting that well-coordinated efforts between relevant agencies resulted in no loss of lives or property.
Major Dr Kuyon further disclosed that NADMO is currently undertaking initiatives to train 11,000 Disaster Volunteer members nationwide, adding that skilled professionals are also being incorporated into the volunteer framework to bolster community-level disaster response capacity.
The NAS Chief Executive Officer, Dr George Kojo Owusu, revealed that the National Ambulance Service has so far trained over 6,000 community medical first responders to strengthen emergency response capabilities at the grassroots level across Ghana.
Dr Owusu also suggested automating and segmenting the national 112 emergency number to provide quicker and more direct access to the appropriate emergency services when needed.
“The proposal, if implemented, is expected to significantly reduce response times and improve the efficiency of emergency service delivery across the country,” he noted.
Judith Twumwaa, ISD
