The Liberian Ministry of Health has received ten new hard top ambulances from the World Bank to ensure the safe transfer of patients to health facilities across the Country.
The donation made will strengthen President George Manneh Weah-led government’s response to the fight against the deadly Coronavirus in Liberia.
The ambulances worth US $636,000.00 are well equipped with plasters, needles, IV Fluid, syringes, gloves, first aid kids, stretchers, AED machines, oxygen tanks, suction and other medical equipment.
Health Minister, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, disclosed this while explaining the importance of the equipment on Sunday August 16, 2020.
Jallah said the ambulances are well equipped with everything for our roads. We will only need to refill them every time they arelow or short.
“What all you see here, today, are Compliments of the World Bank to Liberia, these ambulances are hard top.
“The ambulances have all the necessary equipment in it to handle patients, and will be able to go through the tough terrains,” Dr. Jallah said.
“We have all of the resuscitation bags, AED to start the heart, if the ambulance comes on the scene and your heart has stopped, it will be used to start the heart to bring you back to life and it’s very important,” he explained.
She added that the ambulances have two oxygen tanks in each, and when they are filled, we will have no problem with oxygen.
According to her, the Ministry has two equipped ambulances at the Roberts International Airport and the additional 10 will be more helpful in picking people up from any location.
She lauded World Bank for the donation and all the people who worked hard to procure them.
For his part, Mr Mathew T. K. Flomo, Project Implementation Unit Manager of World Bank Health Portfolio, said the donation was made as a result of his organization’s commitment to buttress government’s efforts in the fight against the sporadic Coronavirus in Liberia.
“We have made a commitment to supporting this fight against the Coronavirus globally.
“This is why we have decided to donate these ambulances to the Ministry in order to quickly transport patients to a health center,” he indicated.
The World Project Manager lauded Government for mustering the courage in the fight against the virus and called on Liberians to apply all health protocols instituted by health authorities.
Meanwhile, the Director of Emergency and Response at the Ministry, Mark Luke, says for the first time in Liberia, the country has emergency medical services along with emergency medical team.
“We also have the dispatch team who receive the call and establish the situation and subsequently come to the location. We have our contacts: 0775588588 or 0881747070. Our staff are sitting and waiting to receive your call and dispatch an ambulance immediately,” Mr. Luke explained
He called on the public to be patient to respond to the dispatch team’s inquiries, including nature of the case and problem, which is important to determine the appropriate ambulance that is needed to take a patient to the health center.
“If your level is low, then we know the practitioners to send to you and if your level is high, we will know also what practitioners to send to you.
“We are hoping that wherever you are, the ambulance can reach to you in the shortest possible time, considering the numbers of ambulances now,” Luke added.
Plans are on the way in order to distribute the ambulances among counties, as Montserrado and hard-to-reach Counties are expected to be prioritized.
In addition to the 10 brand new ambulances, fifteen (15) ambulances are expected shortly in country to be distributed among the 15 political sub-division of the Country to ensure that every county has emergency medical services.
