Ambulances To Be Banned From Carrying Corpses

The Chief Executive Officer of the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency in Ghana, Dr. Yaw Twerefuor, has announced plans to ban ambulances from conveying corpses in the country.

Currently, it is common to see ambulances used to transport deceased individuals from the mortuary for burial, as well as taxis or minibuses being used for the same purpose.

Dr. Twerefuor emphasized that such practices are incorrect and urged drivers to cease using ambulances for this purpose.

He stated that a new policy would be introduced to license hearses specifically for the transportation of corpses, distinguishing them from ambulances meant for the living.

He explained, “Ambulances are supposed to carry a living person battling to survive. Once the person dies, an ambulance should not be used to carry him or her; it must be a hearse.” Dr. Twerefuor also emphasized that the laws governing the operation of ambulances are different from those governing hearses.

Furthermore, he mentioned that vehicles falsely labelled as “Ambulance” that are used to transport corpses will be prohibited.

Additionally, hearse operators with unauthorized strobe lights and sirens will face scrutiny.

A new policy will be implemented to license hearses and regulate their operations more effectively, ensuring that only licensed hearses are used for transporting the deceased in Ghana.