Govt procures vehicles and cycles for health sector

Vice President Aliu Mahama, on Thursday, handed over 300 double cabin pick-ups, which forms part of 450 vehicles and 200 motor cycles, to the Minister of Health to improve rural health delivery services and reduce poverty. The vehicles worth 6.3 million dollars were procured under the Donor Health Fund.

At a ceremony at the CFAO offices in Accra, where the government took delivery of the vehicles, Vice President Mahama announced that the rest of the vehicles, comprising 83 saloon cars, 20 station wagons, 13 haulage trucks 20 buses and two cold vans, would be delivered by the end of March, this year.

Additionally, 200 motorcycles and six motorboats are expected at the same time.

Vice President Mahama said 250 pick-ups would be distributed to district hospitals and health centres, while the saloon cars would be allocated to doctors and other health professionals, particularly in the rural areas.

He said: "Seventy percent of the saloon cars have been earmarked as staff allocation to attract and retain health workers to under-serve in deprived areas in the country."

Vice President Mahama said with the support of OPEC, the government had acquired 16 Nissan pick-ups and 32 motorbikes under the Rural Health Service Project.

Under the same project and with the assistance of OPEC, he said four Nissan pick-ups and two Nissan patrols had been purchased for outreach services in Oral Health Care.