President John Dramani Mahama has moved to put an end to the misinformation circulating on social media, stating categorically that the tricycles distributed under the Free Primary Healthcare policy are not ambulances but transport for health volunteers conducting community screenings.
The President made the clarification on Saturday during the sod-cutting ceremony for the 24-hour economy market in Bimbila, days after the tricycles were publicly displayed at the launch of the Free Primary Healthcare policy in Dodowa.
“Those tricycles are not ambulances. They are vehicles for the free primary health care volunteers to go around and do their work,” he said, repeating the point three times for emphasis.
He explained that the tricycles and motorcycles were procured specifically to solve a practical transport problem for health workers and volunteers who need to travel from village to village to carry out screenings, administer vaccines and check patients for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
The President drew a distinction between how the vehicles would be used in the north and the south of the country, based on the different capabilities of health workers in each area.
“In the north, a lot of our sisters who are health workers can ride motorcycles. In the south, many of the health workers cannot ride a motorcycle. But you need to give them a means of transport to be able to go and do the work you have given them,” he said.
In the northern regions, CHPS compounds will receive motorcycles, which health workers will use to ride to villages with their equipment.
In southern areas where health workers are less likely to be able to ride motorcycles, tricycles will serve the same purpose, ferrying workers and their kits from community to community.
He added that the tricycles were also designed with a rear compartment to keep vaccines cool during transport, a functional feature that he said underlined their purpose as healthcare delivery vehicles rather than emergency response units.
“Let me be clear. If you don’t understand something, ask. Don’t jump to conclusions,” the President said, directing his remarks at those who had shared the misleading characterisations of the vehicles online.
The Free Primary Healthcare policy, launched two days before the Bimbila visit, is rolling out across 150 priority districts, with health volunteers equipped with medical kits going into communities to screen residents for a range of conditions including hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
