Saga on GaDangme Assoc. missing ambulance reaches a dead end

The story about GaDangme Association in Italy (Emilia Romagna Branch) and its donation of an ambulance and hospital beds to hospitals and polyclinics in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana, has reached a dead end.

In one of the most unusual cases on donation by a group of Ghanaians in the diaspora to institutions, hospitals and local communities in Ghana, the story about GaDangme Association in Emilia Romagna Region, Italy, has baffled many who are stilll looking for answers. It begun in 2009 when the Association after sending its representatives to Accra to ascertain where they can offer the most needed assistance in the local hospitals in the suburbs of Accra came to the conclusion of donating an ambulance, 84 hospital beds and assorted uniforms for hospital emergency staff. Their action was in response that people who should be admitted at hospitals in the localities are being turned away for lack of adequate hospital beds facilities and that pregnant women were being transported to Damfa Clinic (in the suburb of the Region) in wheel-barrows and four wheel carts. The ambulance was expected to be donated to the Damfa Clinic.



Sending the goods from Italy, given by the Italian Social Authourities, became a problem as the Association could not raise the needed funds for the shipment but they redoubled their efforts and the goods in a container finally left the Port of Genova in Italy on February 12, 2010 and arrived at the Tema Port on March 8, 2010. The Association had earlier contacted the Ghana Embassy in Rome and been provided with details about sending such donations to Ghana upon which they acted being supported by an official letter from the Embassy to the Ministry of Health in Ghana for the goods to be cleared (tax free) at the Tema Port for distribution to the beneficiary hospitals and polyclinics in the Greater Accra Region – the quantity of beds to each beneficiary according to the directions of the Association.







There were difficulties encountered in Ghana as the Customs & Excise Department and the Ministry of Health in Ghana insisted on additional documents and this further delayed clearance at the Port. When finally, all the difficulties has been resolved some members of the Association were in Accra for holidays and decided to get involved to clear the goods under the assistance of the Ministry of Health, by this time the container and the goods has remained at the Port for 6 months as the authourities in Ghana requested for additional documents. To the shock of the Association members who were at Tema for the goods, the ambulance was not found in the container when it was opened, the serial number on the container from the time it left Genova in Italy was reported to have changed. The other goods – 84 hospital beds, bedside cabinets and uniforms for hospital staff – however remained but was observed to have been displaced in the container from the way it was packed.

The months ahead set up a heated confrontation between the Association, the shipping company (Maersk Line), the Ministry of Health in Ghana and the Port authourities. Investigations conducted by the Association with proofs of documents from Maersk Line indicated the ambulance was duly shipped from Genova in its container and discharged at the Tema Port in Ghana.



The shipping company produced a copy of the Bill of Laden to prove their claim. In the midst of the confrontation, the Association lodged a complaint at the Ghana Police Headquarters for investigation on the matter. After months to no avail of finding the missing ambulance whilst investigations continued it wrote to the Council of State of Ghana, the Inspector General of Police of Ghana (IGP), the Director of CID and the Damfa Mantse (Chief) to intervene in the matter. The Association said none of these individuals or institution wrote back to acknowledge receipt of their letter.



While the case is under investigation the Association decided to withhold distribution of the hospital beds and other items which was understandably known to have been kept at the warehouse of the Ministry of Health. Latest information about the case says after months of investigation by the police it has been noted the C.I.D in charge of the case has submitted a report which according to a source from the Police Headquarters is not appropriate and the police have asked the Association to give it some time for another investigation and report to be made.

A member of the Association who is now Accra in contact with his colleagues in Italy has dropped in a more shocking information about the 84 hospital beds and the other goods. The consignment, known all these while as being kept inside the warehouse of the Ministry of Health at Tema are lying in the open of the warehouse compound at the mercy of the weather, rusted and in a very bad state. For how long the goods have been there is not known but the report further added the hospital staff uniforms have been shredded into rags by rats where the compound is their feeding ground. It’s also not known who took charge of the goods when it was deposited at the warehouse some 14 months ago but also the Association member further told his fellow natives a personal at the depot contacted said they didn’t know the beds, which were dismantled before being shipped (to allow more to be loaded), are hospital beds.







The end of this saga has been received with anger and loss of hope by the Association members to help their community in the Greater Accra Region. As to what steps it still intends to take is unclear. Latest information said they have decided to hold a Press Conference in Ghana on the matter but according to sources they will have to pay for the transportation costs of members of the Press and the cost of venue to disclose any information on the matter to the public. The source said they will be considering their next line of action at the next general meeting.