Ambulance Service confirms charging woman in labour GHS600 for fuel

A 31-year-old woman Augustina Awortwe painfully lost her life on Tuesday, January 4, after an ambulance service demanded GHS600 before she was transferred from Takoradi to Accra.

The husband, Mr John Obiri Yeboah, narrating the incident to Skyy Power 93.5FM indicated that his wife who had just gone under the knife to conceive her baby at the Holy Child Catholic Hospital in Takoradi had to be transferred to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

According to him, his wife’s health deteriorated after the surgery and her condition was not getting any better hence the decision for her referral but died due to delay by the ambulance team over GHS600 for fuel.

The Western Regional Administrator of the National Ambulance Service, Mr Frank Manu spoke to Skyy Power 93.5FM on Friday, January 7, and indicated that the only available ambulance at that particular moment was that of Sekondi.

Also, they utilised all their fuel during the festive season which they procured for fuel from Accra but because Monday was a holiday, their request could not be fulfilled.

He said, “The doctor called the ambulance team for the emergency and was told there is no fuel so they will have to pay GHS600, he hung up and later called back, giving a green light that the relatives are ready to pay.

“They had to pick the husband at Assorko Essaman for the journey but the hospital called back to alert them that they have left the newborn baby behind so they returned back to the hospital.”

“Before they returned back to the hospital, they informed me that the husband says he only has GHS150 and is not aware of the GHS600 fuel money, so I told them when they return back to the hospital, I would like to speak to the hospital staff to know how best to solve the issue.”

Mr Manu emphasized that their return to the hospital was not for fuel as the husband was alleging but to pick up their newborn baby and even if there was no money for fuel, the ambulance service would find means to organise the journey.

He further noted that patients are not obligated to pay for ambulance services but are only asked to do so when there is no fuel in the vehicle at that particular moment.