Recent experiences shared by citizens in Ghana have renewed concerns about emergency healthcare access and raised a broader question for the continent: what does quality healthcare really mean if people cannot reach treatment in time?
On 13 April, a video shared online by Freda Yayra Amable appealed for support to secure an ambulance to transfer a patient from Akatsi District Hospital to Ho Teaching Hospital. The appeal drew public attention and triggered conversations about why emergency care sometimes appears to depend on access to influential people.
Another family this week also shared concerns after facing difficulties securing ambulance transport following a medical referral. Their experience reignited public debate about emergency response systems, referral coordination and access to specialised care.
But Ghana is not alone.
Across Africa, emergency medical services remain uneven. Research examining emergency medical systems across 49 African countries found that formal ambulance and emergency response coverage remains limited in many parts of the continent, with access often concentrated in urban areas.
At the same time, some African countries are investing in stronger emergency response models. In Rwanda, the national emergency medical service operates through a central dispatch system and a dedicated emergency number that coordinates ambulance deployment and patient transfers across the country.
These examples show that ambulance systems are not simply about owning vehicles. They require planning, coordination, trained personnel and referral systems that work under pressure.
Agenda 2063 envisions “the Africa We Want” — one where citizens enjoy improved quality of life and access to essential services.
For many Africans, progress will not only be measured by new hospitals or modern buildings, but by whether help arrives on time when lives depend on it.