Mahama’s comments on ambulances disappointing — Information Minister

The Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has described comments made by the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Dramani Mahama, on the distribution of ambulances to constituencies across the country as disappointing and deceptive.

He said the former President, in an encounter with some financial journalists last Thursday, had suggested that the recent distribution of 307 ambulances was misplaced because there were uncompleted clinics and hospitals across the country that needed to have been completed first.

Reacting to the comments made by the former President in an encounter with the media last Friday, Mr Nkrumah said although the government was not surprised by the comments, it thought they were ‘‘disappointing".

He said the delivery of emergency healthcare infrastructure in the country was a good initiative that must not be run down for political expediency.

Opposition u-turn

Mr Nkrumah explained that although Mr Mahama was running down the distribution of the ambulances, the minority in Parliament and the NDC held series of activities to call for the immediate distribution of the ambulances.

"They even gave the government a three-day ultimatum to distribute the ambulances prior to its distribution," he said.

Giving more instances to support his claim, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the NDC government under the leadership of the former President procured some ambulances for distribution across the country at a time all hospitals had not been completed, " so where were they taking the sick people"? he asked.

He said the public must see the distribution of ambulances as a good intervention for the country and what needed to be discussed was how to pay for them, how to maintain them how to reduce prank calls and make the service delivery effective to save lives across the country.

He said although the former President was downplaying the need to organise an event for the distribution of the ambulances, there were several evidence and photos of the NDC flag bearer distributing saucepans and inaugurating toilet facilities.

No alternatives

On the issue of management of the economy, he said the government was disappointed that the former President was unable to propose any economic management alternative during his two hours encounter with financial journalists although he had criticised efforts by the government to restore the economy to its past glory.

"He has not been able to explain what he would do differently and he said he was now putting together a working group or committee to look at the issues but that is not the kind of discourse we want now," he said.

He said the former President's criticism of the governments strategy of managing the economy was frivolous as it did not present any alternative solution or strategies.