The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has handed over the first batch of 49 VW vehicles to the Ghana Health Services (GHS) to assist in the delivery of quality healthcare across the country.
The vehicles, which were procured under the Vehicle Hire Purchase Scheme of the GHS, will be distributed among 45 health facilities nationwide.
In all, 1,000 units of vehicles which were assembled in Ghana, will be procured under the scheme between 2020 and 2023.
The Minister said the vehicles would go a long way to contribute to the achievement of universal health coverage and a healthy population, despite the negative impact COVID-19 had on the delivery of quality healthcare services in Ghana.
He said in line with the government’s policy to help industrialise the economy, boost employment, encourage investment and preserve foreign exchange, Ministries, Departments and Agencies were directed to source such procurements from locally assembled vehicles.
“These vehicles will go a long way to augment our transport fleet and ensure that health services are brought to the doorstep of clients, especially in remote communities”, he said.
The Minister urged management of the various health facilities to put in systems to prudently manage, maintain and prevent abuse of the vehicles, for the benefit of patients.
Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General, GHS, speaking at the event, said this would enable the Service to achieve its vision of ensuring that all communities had quality, timely and comprehensive healthcare.
He said the provision of transport services was an important support service system that provided spatial mobility for health professionals to deliver health services to the population.
This would ensure timely positioning of health logistics for effectiveness and efficiency of health provisions, he added.
According to Dr Kuma-Aboagye, it was for this reason that the GHS arranged for a vehicle hire purchase scheme for income-generating and self-financing health facilities.
“Under this scheme, health facilities are expected to make payments for vehicles within 60 months under the hire purchase price of GHS 325,000 for each vehicle,” he stated.
He, however, noted that the Service would add other makes of vehicles of any automobile company that was able to commence assembling in Ghana within the period.
He said the vehicles, with three years maintenance warranty, were comprehensively insured, with tracking devices to be fitted on them for monitoring and security of occupants and property.
He expressed gratitude to the government for its support and allowing them to use part of their internally generated funds and guaranteeing a loan, which enabled them to buy the vehicles on a hire purchase basis.