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Ghana: Doctor turns truck into ambulance to save baby’s life

A doctor in Eastern Ghana has been praised by many for converting a pick-up truck into an ambulance just to save a two-day old baby.

Dr. Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe shared a photo of the said pick-up which had to be used as an ambulance on social media.

He wrote on his Facebook page that “This is the mode in which I have had to carry a 2-day old baby from my hospital.”

Addipa-Adapoe said the said baby was “delivered via Caesarean section on account of Severe Preeclampsia and meconium stained liquor.”

“Baby has severe birth Asphyxia and we have done well on resuscitation so far but the child needs a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).”

But sadly, Addipa-Adapoe’s hospital doesn’t have such a facility and had no access to an ambulance.

Doctor in Ghana
Dr. Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe holding a baby at his hospital. Photo: Facebook / Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe

He wrote that “I fell on a friend who loaned us his latest Toyota Hilux pick up. I improvised an ambulance like in the picture.

I picked up my ambu-bag and penguin for periodic supplementary oxygenation and suctioning respectively.”

Addipa-Adapoe then added that the team safely arrived at the shores of the Volta Lake awaiting a “Pontoon for another 20 minutes” in order to cross to “the Eastern regional Hospital”, in the capital town called Koforidua.

He is now asking Ghanaians to “Please say a prayer for us,” hoping the baby will be saved and not die.

The doctor has been praised by many but the episode narrated by him paints a horrific picture of how country like Ghana lacks access to vital health care facilities.

Mixed reactions

Some social media users have expressed mixed feelings about the incident.

Source: Africafeeds.com

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