In rural Ghana, people face several barriers when trying to access proper healthcare in a timely manner: transport is only but one of these barriers.

Oftentimes, people simply do not have a suitable means of transport to access a CHPS (community health planning services), health center, or hospital during a medical emergency. Walking, biking, or perching precariously on the back of a motorbike is the most common way of getting around, and the same methods are typically applied even when time is of the essence or when medically urgent situations arise.

In order to address this particular barrier, Virtue Foundation instituted the novel ‘Community Emergency Transport System’ (CETS) in East Sissala District. The hallmark of this system is the donation of two ambulance motorbikes to East Sissala, which are manned and deployed to medical emergencies throughout the villages they serve. The motorbikes themselves were specifically designed and constructed with an enclosed flatbed to help transport patients from their homes to a health center in case of emergency, or from a CHPS to a hospital if access to more advanced medical care is required. The motorbikes are meant to be efficient, easy to use, and able to circumnavigate the bumpy dirt roads in East Sissala.

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