Ghana is currently not running any paramedic training programmes, the Clinical Auditor for the Southern Zone of the National Ambulance Service, Martin Ewuah Amoah, has disclosed.
Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Monday, February 23, 2026, Mr. Amoah revealed that individuals seeking to qualify as paramedics must travel abroad for training before returning to practise in Ghana.
“Currently, the country is not running paramedic programmes. So, for somebody to be able to practise as a paramedic, you need to go outside to study and come back,” he said.
His remarks highlight a significant gap in Ghana’s emergency medical services framework, particularly at a time when the capacity and preparedness of the ambulance system are under public scrutiny.
Mr. Amoah explained that ambulances designated as emergency response vehicles are required to carry basic life-support equipment. However, the level of equipment installed depends largely on the qualifications and expertise of the personnel assigned to each vehicle.
“We have different levels of training: emergency medical technician level, paramedic level and advanced emergency medical technician level. Depending on the kind of staff you have on board determines the equipment to add on. The sophistication of the equipment will depend on the kind of procedure to run on the ambulance,” he noted.
The disclosure comes in the wake of the death of 29-year-old Charles Amissah, who was involved in a hit-and-run accident at the Circle Overpass in Accra on February 6, 2026.
Mr. Amissah, an engineer with Promasidor Ghana Limited, was reportedly stabilised by Emergency Medical Technicians from the National Ambulance Service. However, he was allegedly turned away by three major hospitals in Accra — Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and the Ghana Police Hospital — over a period of nearly three hours due to the unavailability of bed space. He later died.
The incident has sparked renewed debate over emergency response capacity, hospital preparedness and systemic gaps within Ghana’s healthcare delivery chain.
