The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Ambulance Service (NAS), Dr. (Med) George Kojo Owusu, has reaffirmed the Service's commitment to transforming emergency medical services in Ghana through strategic reforms aimed at strengthening prehospital emergency care, workforce development, and operational efficiency.
Delivering the closing remarks at the 2025 Annual and 2026 Mid-Year Performance Review Conference, held under the theme "Beyond Transport: Strengthening Prehospital Emergency Care, Stabilization and Timely Patient Transfer," the CEO emphasized that the National Ambulance Service must be recognized not merely as a patient transportation service but as the nation's frontline provider of life-saving prehospital emergency care.
He explained that Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) play a critical role in stabilizing patients and administering emergency interventions during the vital "golden hour" before arrival at a health facility.
Dr. Owusu announced that the Service is finalizing accreditation with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to upgrade the Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technology College to offer certificate, diploma, and degree programmes. According to him, the move will further professionalize the EMT profession and create enhanced career progression opportunities.
The CEO further disclosed plans to recruit and train more Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMTs), introduce a mandatory three-year recertification programme supported by continuous in-service training, and recruit additional personnel nationwide to bridge staffing gaps and improve emergency response times.
He added that, plans are in the pipeline for Deputy Directorship positions application for Regional Administrators.
Touching on referral challenges, he highlighted the implementation of the National Integrated Bed Management and Referral Coordination System, which is expected to provide real-time information on hospital bed availability and significantly reduce delays associated with the "No Bed" syndrome.
Dr. Owusu also announced that the Service is developing comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all Emergency Dispatch Centres to standardize call-taking, triage, destination selection, and pre-arrival instructions, ensuring every emergency call receives the appropriate response.
On logistics and financing, he revealed that Government is committed to providing dedicated funding for fleet maintenance, personnel training, and establishing a specific budget line for the National Ambulance Service in future national budgets. He further disclosed plans to procure additional ambulances to support the Service's strategic goal of ensuring that every Ghanaian can access a functioning ambulance within ten minutes during emergencies.
The CEO also underscored the importance of community participation in emergency response, announcing that the Service has commenced training 6,000 Community Medical First Responders to provide immediate first aid and emergency support before ambulances arrive, particularly in underserved communities.
He reiterated Government's commitment to ensuring that no Ghanaian loses his or her life because an ambulance was unavailable or because emergency care did not begin promptly.
Charging participants to translate the conference theme into action, Dr. Owusu called for better training, improved equipment, stronger systems, enhanced patient outcomes, and accountability in implementing the resolutions adopted during the conference.
The all-important 2025 Annual and 2026 Mid-Year Performance Review Conference officially ended on Wednesday, 8th July 2026, bringing to a close the two-day deliberations focused on advancing emergency medical service delivery across the country.
