Insists 331 Ambulances Were Uninsured Upon Taking Office
By Philip Antoh
Health Minister Kobina Mintah Akandoh is standing firm on his claim that the nation’s fleet of ambulances was operating without insurance when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) assumed office, sharply rebuffing criticisms from his predecessor, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye.
The dispute began on Wednesday, October 7, during a Health Sector Update Engagement, where Akandoh revealed that the 307 ambulances inherited from the previous administration were uninsured.
The following day, October 8, former Health Minister Dr. Okoe Boye, who served under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, fired back.
He labelled Akandoh’s statement as “misleading and grossly inaccurate,” asserting that the 307 ambulances purchased under Akufo-Addo were fully insured by Enterprise Insurance, and an additional 24 ambulances procured later were covered by SIC Insurance.
Dr. Okoe Boye argued that the current administration should focus on advancing citizen welfare rather than discrediting past achievements.
“I am of the firm view that governance is a continuum and that those who succeed their predecessors should devote their energies to advancing the interests and well-being of the citizenry… rather than seeking to undermine or discredit the gains of previous administrations,” he stated.
However, Minister Akandoh was unyielding. Addressing the media on Friday, October 9, after providing an update on Yellow Fever, he revisited the issue to set the record straight.
“I want to put it on record: as at the time we took office, ambulances operating in the country were not covered,” Akandoh insisted.
He explained that when the current government assumed power in 2025, the vehicles’ insurance policies had lapsed in February 2024, leaving them entirely without coverage.
He highlighted the real-world consequences of this lapse, noting, “Because the vehicles were not insured, some of them which got involved in an accident could not be retrieved. So, I want to put it on record that we don’t just talk.”
Akandoh concluded by affirming that the current administration has resolved the issue:
“Immediately we appointed the current CEO of the National Ambulance Service, we ensured we insured all of them. We had a whole board meeting on this.”