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| Grounded ambulances at the forecourt of Parliament/Sate House |
August 31st,
2019 marked my fourth year since I relocated from Spintex to somewhere in the Ga
South Municipality in the Greater Accra Region. For these past years, I have
observed one worrying trend on the Mallam-Odorkor Highway and George Walker
Bush Highway [also known as the N1].
Almost every day, I see,
at least, two taxis with their drivers crazily honking at others. Drivers of these
taxis are themselves not crazy. They honk at their fellow drivers because at
that material moment, their cars are not mere vehicles for carrying ‘ordinary’ passengers.
They are ambulances!
At the back seats of
these taxis, always stretching my neck to see when possible, is a pregnant
woman— ostensibly in labor— sandwiched by two men,. Then, there would be another
person at the front seat
The front-seat-sitting
passenger’s role is to stretch his/her hand signaling other drivers to give
way. The saddest part of the narrative is that, usually, such taxi-turned-ambulances
honk in vain. They meet stagnant vehicular traffic that makes me cry and cringe
within.
Yet, when they
gradually make it to hospitals such as Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the taxi-tuned-ambulance
is greeted with an inscription at the health facilities’ entrances— “Taxis Are
Not Allowed!” Is this not sickening?
Having narrated all the
above, what makes the ambulance debate in our country utterly sickening is the
reason behind the Nana Akufo Addo-led government grounding 96 out of the 275
ambulances procured for all the constituencies in the country.
In a Neat FM interview, Minister for Special
Development Initiative, Mavis Hawa Koomson, fully-filled with arrogance and
power like that of a tethered he-goat, spewed some indescribable words in her
analysis on these ambulances that have become an albatross on our necks.
When I saw a YouTube link of the said interview, I
quickly downloaded it and watched the whole of the 19 minute 5 second long
video. Although the link was shared by – I think – Peace FM’s Facebook account, I could not believe it at first.
Madam Koomson’s
comments were so harsh, cruel and insensitive that I doubted she could have
said that. Whoever has listened to the said tape would attest that the comments
do not match our minister’s age as a grownup adult.
“[…] I know people are
dying. But, did people start dying today?” Mavis Hawa Koomson proudly said. If
these words were to be bottled, I am over confidently certain that its pungent
smell could kill an elephant when sprayed on it.
You have ambulances
parked at the forecourt of the Parliament House while some of our pregnant
women and other patients alike go through the hell of being transported in
taxis to hospitals and is this the best response you could give?
Then, when on Friday, December
13, 2019, President Akufo Addo had an encounter with the media, it came to
light that he had ordered Madam Hawa not to distribute the ambulances.
For the fear of being
tagged a pioneer in favoritism, Nana Akufo Addo said his government would
rather wait for the other remaining ambulances to be shipped down to Ghana
before their overall distribution. I must say that his government’s reason is somewhat
understandable. If we take a look at the brouhaha that surrounded the Finance
Ministry’s ‘genuine error’ in the omission of Volta roads from the 2020 budget,
for instance, one is tempted to side with the reason given for grounding the 96
ambulances.
Nonetheless, to a large
extent, it does not in any way make sense to look on unconcerned while women in
labor and the sick – in both the cities and villages – struggle for taxis and
tricycles as ambulances just because you [the president] want to be liked by
all. Is that how to govern a developing country?
Mr. President, as you
are so determined to be liked by all, I guess you are in a wrong position as
the country’s leader. To be liked by all, I think you need to rather venture
into the sale of ice-creams!
On three consecutive
Sundays now, I would see on my way to work some young men dressed as
masquerades. They stand on the roads just by the 37 Military Hospital, dance
and solicit for alms. Here, I have rather observed that these masquerades end
up not getting anything from drivers who ply the roads there and the reason is
simple.
These 37 [Military
Hospital] masquerades instead of dancing to entertain a few of the drivers at a
time to catch their attention properly, rather try pleasing every driver whose
car waits in traffic. And, this is exactly the failed strategy our president
hinges his hopes on that at the end of the day, all the 29 million or so
Ghanaians would call him Father Christmas.
Looking at the caliber
of person that we saw in the then presidential candidate, Akufo Addo, and what
he has ‘grown into’ now in relation with his decisions as the president of the
country, I cannot but believe those who claim that he has been bewitched.
I certainly believe
that, perhaps, there is an enchantment at the Jubilee House that blinds its
occupants. When they leave power – as John Mahama did – they regain their
consciousness.
Today, Mr. Mahama
pleads with Ghanaians to give him another chance because he has realized his
mistakes. And, I can bet with my lens that Nana Akufo Addo will say same should
he lose the 2020 elections.
It is 2:14am on Thursday
as I write this piece. I need to now go to bed as work awaits me early in the
morning. I can’t kill myself. However, let me just draw your attention – if you
did not know – that in most of the developed countries including Sweden and
America, there are ambulances for animals. If you critically study how
pets/animals are treated so well elsewhere, one is tempted to say that most
Ghanaians would never have this level of pet-treatment in their own country, considering
how successive governments here think and play politics with our healthcare.
I am getting so much
annoyed reflecting on this and I do not want to continue spewing fire. If you
have time, please listen to the song titled 52
Ambulances by Knii Lante featuring Blakk Rasta. It sums up my thoughts.
The writer. Solomon Mensah, is a
broadcast journalist with Media General (TV3/3FM). Views expressed here are
solely his and do not, in anyway, reflect the editorial policy of his
organisation.
Twitter: @aniwaba
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