Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu says most responses of his Ministry were not considered in putting together the 2020 Auditor General’s report on COVID-19 expenditure.

The report revealed that the Ministry of Health entered into a US$4,049,460.12 agreement for the purchase of 26 Toyota Hiace Deluxe Ambulances in December 2021, but the ambulances were never delivered.

Details of the report indicate that a total of US$607,419.02 out of US$4,049,460.12 was paid for the ambulances to be delivered by January 15, 2022, however, as of November 28, 2022, no ambulance had been delivered.

The Health Ministry, also without the approval of the Central Tender Review Committee, increased the cost of five contracts with a total contract sum of GH¢24,256,500.00 by GH¢4,017,000.00 through variation orders, the report revealed.

However, the sector minister is concerned that the responses of the Ministry were not taken into account.

Speaking at the inauguration of the first-ever governing Board for the National Ambulance Service, Kwaku Agyemang Manu said the payment as part of measures taken was the procurement of more ambulances to augment the existing ones.

“One thing is that, all the responses they were given were never taken into consideration when that report was done. We had to indeed procure 36 ambulances, supplier came to ask for extension till March. The extension was given, so we are still awaiting the supplier to bring these ambulances. Some advance payment was made because there were arrangements and then the rest of the money will be paid the supplier.”

“Apart from that, we were also trying to get some more ambulances in addition to the one that the President in his own magnanimity and wisdom pre-empted COVID-19 to bring them into the system to handle the emergency cases during COVID-19.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the newly constituted board, Nana Wiafe Ababio has assured of working assiduously to get the National Ambulance Service to deliver quality emergency services

“The Board members and I are aware of the efforts of the National Ambulance Service and its staff led by its CEO in building and expanding the service since its inception without a governing board. It will therefore be the responsibility of the board to ensure that, all the successes achieved thus far are sustained and more added.”