Tricycles Are Not Ambulances," President Mahama Clarifies at Bimbilla Ceremony

 BIMBILLA, NORTHERN REGION — President John Dramani Mahama has moved to quell public misconceptions regarding the equipment being distributed under the government’s Free Primary Healthcare (FPHC) initiative.

​Speaking on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at a sod-cutting ceremony for a 24-hour model market in Bimbilla, the President addressed viral social media reports suggesting that motorized tricycles were being deployed as makeshift ambulances. President Mahama was emphatic in his correction, stating, "Let me be clear, those tricycles are not ambulances."

​The Role of the New Fleet

​The President explained that the motorcycles and tricycles are strategic tools for outreach and preventive care, not emergency response. According to the President, the primary functions of these vehicles include:

• ​Vaccine Transport: The tricycles are equipped with specialized compartments to maintain the "cold chain" required for moving vaccines safely between rural communities.

• ​Community Screenings: Health workers and volunteers will use the fleet to reach over 6,000 CHPS compounds to conduct screenings for non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

• ​Regional Tailoring: While motorcycles are primarily deployed in northern regions for individual health workers, tricycles are being used in southern regions where they offer a more practical solution for transporting teams and supplies from village to village.