FG Distributes Ambulances To Rural Communities Nationwide

The Federal Government has begun distributing Advanced Life Support (ALS) and tricycle ambulances nationwide to improve emergency response and access to healthcare in rural and underserved communities.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, disclosed this on Monday at the flag-off ceremony at the National Trauma Centre, Riyom, Plateau State, according to a statement by the ministry’s Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako.

Kachollom said the intervention, under the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), would address transportation and referral challenges, particularly during maternal and newborn emergencies, road crashes and other trauma cases.

She also announced that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, had approved Riyom General Hospital as an outpost of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), following collaboration with the Plateau State Government.

Kachollom urged beneficiary states to properly deploy, maintain and fund the vehicles, saying the success of the programme would be measured by lives saved and reductions in preventable deaths and disabilities.

The Plateau State Government, represented by Deputy Governor Josephine Piyo, said the ambulances would improve patient transportation, referrals and emergency response in hard-to-reach communities.

The Chief Medical Director of JUTH said the emergency transport initiative had facilitated the movement of about 1,115 patients in Jos East and more than 900 in Riyom.

He also said maternal mortality in Plateau State had dropped from about 905 to approximately 500 per 100,000 live births.

According to him, only one maternal mortality was recorded in Jos East in the last six months, while Riyom recorded none.

He added that the Federal Government had provided 10 additional tricycle ambulances to Plateau State.