The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has cleared the air following viral social media videos mischaracterizing newly procured tricycles for the Free Primary Health Care (FPHC) implementation as “ambulances.”
“These FPHC tricycles are not ambulances and have not been procured to be used as such,” a signed statement by Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, the Director-General of the Service clarified.
The statement indicated that, “The Service has a record of successfully deploying such tricycles for outreach services for some years now,” and categorically denied the claims labeling them as false and misleading.
According to the Service, the tricycles were part of a strategic rollout under the Government’s FPHC initiative, and were intended for community outreach and not emergency patient transport.
The statement explained that the procurement of the tricycles was a deliberate move to bolster the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) system, and acknowledged that while motorbikes had long been the standard for rural health, tricycles offered distinct advantages for frontline workers.
The statement explained that, unlike motorbikes, the tricycles feature dedicated compartments for transporting vaccines, cold chain equipment, diagnostic tools, and medical supplies.
It said the design offered health workers better protection from extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rain and intense sun, and further noted that the three-wheeled design provided better safety and navigation through the difficult terrains often found in rural and peri-urban areas.
The Service emphasized that the vehicles were “outreach tools” designed to bring primary healthcare directly to the doorsteps of Ghanaians.
By utilizing the vehicles, the GHS said Community Health Nurses (CHNs) could efficiently conduct home visits and integrated outreach activities, ensuring that even the most “hard-to-reach” communities had equitable access to healthcare.
The statement said the deployment of the resources underscored a continuous effort to bring quality, essential health services closer to every Ghanaian, regardless of their geographical location.
The Ministry of Health and the GHS, therefore, urged members of the public to disregard the misinformation circulating online, and reiterated its commitment to the FPHC policy.
