Akatsi south: The Akatsi South Municipality in the Volta Region is currently hosting the 55th Inter-district Sports Festival without a functioning ambulance service on standby, a situation that has raised serious concerns about the safety of athletes participating in the week-long competition.
According to Ghana News Agency, the festival, which commenced on August 17 and is expected to conclude on August 22, has brought together contingents from all 18 districts in the Volta Region to compete in various track, field, and other sporting disciplines. Despite the scale of the competition, no ambulance has been stationed at the venue to respond to emergencies, a lapse that could prove costly should any athlete sustain a serious injury during the games.
Sources close to the organisers informed the Ghana News Agency that ambulances belonging to some of the participating districts were in poor mechanical condition, while others simply did not possess any at all. This has left a significant gap in emergency preparedness for the event. Stakeholders expressed concern that since Akatsi South was hosting all the 18 districts, the Municipal Assembly and organisers could have secured at least one ambulance from any of the participating districts to be on standby throughout the competition.
In the event of a medical emergency, athletes would have to rely on private or commercial vehicles to be rushed to the nearest hospital, a delay that could worsen injuries or, in extreme cases, endanger lives. An ambulance service is critical to any major sporting event to ensure rapid response, enabling injured athletes to receive immediate medical attention, which is often crucial in trauma cases. An ambulance is equipped with basic life-support equipment and trained personnel who can stabilise a patient's condition on the spot before onward referral, which reduces the risk of complications arising from delayed care.
Mr. Israel Ameku, a spectator, stated that having a dedicated ambulance service could help the event organisers meet basic safety and risk-management standards expected of sporting competitions, shielding the host municipality and Regional Sports authorities from any liability in the event of an unfortunate incident.
The Ghana News Agency also reported that upon conclusion of the festival on Friday, all athletes selected to represent the Volta Region would be camped from Saturday to Monday, ahead of their departure to Accra on Tuesday for the Inter-Regional Sports Festival. This makes it even more imperative for the organisers to urgently address the ambulance gap. However, security and young Red Cross personnel have been put on standby to monitor the situation and provide necessary support within their capacity.