An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) specialist, Daniel Asare, says personnel of the National Ambulance Service did everything possible to save the late Charles Amissah after the engineer was involved in a hit-and-run accident at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Overpass.
Speaking on PM Express on Wednesday, he reacted to findings from a government-appointed committee which concluded that the 29-year-old died from medical neglect and denial of emergency care after being turned away by three hospitals in Accra.
“I was also saddened by that statement when the presentation was going on,” he said.
Responding to claims that EMTs could not control the bleeding, he defended the emergency responders, insisting they acted professionally under difficult and dangerous conditions.
“The EMTs did their best in the interest of saving the late Charles Amissah,” he stated.
According to him, EMTs who arrived at the accident scene faced poor visibility due to the absence of a functioning lighting system on the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Overpass.
“The account the EMTs gave us from the incident scene on the top of Circle Overpass was that there was no lighting system, so visibility was a bit poor,” he explained.
Mr Asare said the emergency team also risked their own safety while attempting to rescue the victim, as vehicles continued moving through the area.
“They were sacrificing to save the deceased while other cars were passing,” he noted.
“The visibility was very poor.”
He disclosed that the situation was so dangerous that another vehicle could have crashed into the responders during the rescue operation.
“So even in the attempt of trying to save Mr Amissah, another car can hit,” he said.
Despite the conditions, he said the EMTs managed to stabilise the situation and transport Mr Amissah into the ambulance before rushing him to the Police Hospital.
“But they were able to manage to put him into the ambulance and send him to the Police Hospital,” he added.
Mr Asare explained that the decision to take the victim to the Police Hospital was based on both proximity and the nature of the accident.
“The reason why they send the case to the Police Hospital was that most of the time when we have these road traffic crashes, there will be a form of investigation and other things,” he explained.
“So they thought that going to the Police Hospital would be the most prudent.”
He added that the facility was also the closest option available at the time.
“And in terms of proximity to the Police Hospital, it was the best place,” he stated.
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