…Salako says NEMSAS intervention targets maternal, trauma emergencies
… Ogun gets 3 ALS, 1 BLS, 9 tricycle ambulances
Daud Olatunji
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to strengthen emergency medical services in Ogun State with the deployment of 13 ambulances comprising three Advanced Life Support ambulances, one Basic Life Support ambulance and nine tricycle ambulances to selected health facilities across the state.
The intervention, implemented under the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System, is aimed at improving access to prompt emergency care, particularly for patients in remote communities and victims of road crashes, obstetric emergencies and other life-threatening conditions.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Kunle Salako, disclosed this on Friday during the flag-off and distribution of the emergency medical assets at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta.
Salako said the intervention represented another step in the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians could access timely and potentially life-saving emergency medical care irrespective of their location or financial circumstances.
He said emergency medical services remained a critical component of the country’s healthcare system because delays in reaching appropriate care could turn otherwise treatable conditions into fatal emergencies.
According to him, emergencies such as road traffic crashes, complications during childbirth, stroke, heart attacks, drowning and industrial accidents require rapid and coordinated responses.
“Every day, precious lives are lost not because illnesses or injuries are beyond treatment, but because emergency care is delayed, fragmented, inaccessible, or entirely unavailable,” the minister said.
He added, “We recognise that timely emergency care has the potential to prevent a substantial proportion of avoidable deaths and disabilities.”
NEMSAS reduces maternal, newborn deaths
The minister said the Federal Government’s emergency medical intervention was already producing measurable results in maternal and newborn healthcare.
He disclosed that through the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, NEMSAS had supported more than 48,000 women to receive free emergency obstetric care, while more than 4,000 women had received free caesarean sections in National Health Insurance Authority-empanelled facilities.
Salako said the intervention had contributed to a 17 per cent reduction in maternal deaths and a 12 per cent reduction in newborn deaths across 172 high-burden local government areas.
He described the figures as evidence of the potential impact of strengthening emergency care and ensuring that patients can move quickly from the point of crisis to appropriate medical facilities.
The minister explained that the Federal Government was seeking to move away from an emergency response model centred merely on providing ambulances.
“Our approach has also shifted from simply providing ambulances to establishing a more coordinated emergency-care system, one in which transportation, trained personnel, communication, referral pathways, and definitive treatment are seamlessly connected,” he said.
Nigeria gets 245 emergency response assets
Salako disclosed that the first phase of the national intervention involved the acquisition of 145 tricycle ambulances, six boats, 15 Basic Life Support ambulances and 79 Advanced Life Support ambulances.
He said additional support equipment, including laptops, printers and communication devices, was also being provided to strengthen the emergency response system.
According to him, the assets were being distributed across the country based on identified emergency-care needs, with Ogun State among the beneficiaries.
The Ogun allocation, he said, would support emergency response at federal and state tertiary institutions, including the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, and Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, as well as selected high-volume and hard-to-reach primary and secondary healthcare facilities.
The minister said the intervention was particularly important in a state with both densely populated urban centres and rural communities where access to emergency transportation could be a major challenge.
“Today’s event is therefore bringing that national commitment to subnational level, including my home state of Ogun, where these emergency medical service assets will support response across diverse communities, from urban centres to hard-to-reach rural settings,” Salako said.
‘Ambulances must save lives, not serve other purposes’
While handing over the vehicles, the minister warned beneficiary institutions against misuse, stressing that the ambulances must remain available for genuine medical emergencies.
He said their value would not be determined by their presence at commissioning ceremonies but by their effectiveness when patients urgently needed them.
“The true value of these ambulances will be measured not by their presence at today’s ceremony, but by their performance in moments of crisis,” he said.
He cited situations involving women in labour requiring urgent referral, road crash victims needing immediate stabilisation and children experiencing respiratory distress as examples of emergencies where every minute could be critical.
Salako urged the Ogun State Government, healthcare institutions, emergency responders and communities to work together to ensure the sustainability of the programme.
He said the ambulances should be deployed according to identified emergency-care needs, properly maintained, operated by trained personnel and subjected to effective monitoring and accountability.
He also called on the state government and host facilities to provide complementary resources, particularly operational and maintenance funding.
According to him, providing ambulances without adequate maintenance and operational support could undermine the purpose of the intervention.
The minister said the Federal Government expected all beneficiary institutions to treat the vehicles as critical healthcare infrastructure rather than ordinary government vehicles.
“Let me emphasise that these ambulances are not hearse for moving corpse or going to the market to purchase goods, including drugs and other hospital consumables,” he warned.
FG seeks unified emergency response system
Salako said the Federal Government was also working towards improving coordination among agencies and institutions involved in emergency response.
He said NEMSAS would continue working with relevant federal agencies, state governments, private healthcare providers, security agencies, health facilities, emergency workers and communities to establish a stronger framework connecting emergency dispatch, pre-hospital care, transportation and receiving hospitals.
He observed that Nigeria’s emergency response system had historically operated under fragmented arrangements involving different institutions and agencies.
According to him, the Federal Government intends to address the challenge in collaboration with the National Assembly.
“The current scenario in our country where first responders and emergency management are regulated through a fragmented framework rather than a single comprehensive first responder [framework] will be addressed in cooperation with the legislative arm to optimise emergency services in our country,” he said.
He stressed that a coordinated emergency system would improve response times, reduce avoidable deaths and strengthen public confidence in the health system.
Minister warns against poor management
Salako said the Federal Government’s responsibility did not end with the procurement and distribution of the ambulances.
He said their long-term impact would depend on proper ownership, management, maintenance and oversight by state and local authorities as well as the beneficiary facilities.
He therefore urged the facilities to ensure that the ambulances remained operational and available for emergency response.
He listed five key requirements for the effective management of the assets, including deployment based on identified emergency needs, proper maintenance, exclusive use for designated emergency medical services, deployment of trained personnel and effective monitoring and documentation.
He said accountability would be crucial to determining whether the intervention achieved its intended objectives.
“While the Federal Government has provided these assets, their sustained impact will depend on appropriate ownership, prudent management, and effective oversight at the State and Local Government levels,” he said.
The minister said the Federal Government remained committed to expanding access to emergency healthcare and strengthening the capacity of health facilities to respond to emergencies.
He urged all stakeholders to view the intervention as a shared responsibility.
Salako promises action on complaints at FMC Abeokuta
The minister also disclosed that his office had received complaints and encountered media reports alleging unprofessional practices, dereliction of duty and illegal collection of levies involving some officials at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta.
Although the issue was not directly connected with the ambulance distribution programme, Salako said it was relevant to the quality of care delivered at the facility.
He said the complaints would receive comprehensive attention and that anyone found culpable would face sanctions in accordance with the civil service rules.
“When patients visit or are brought to our hospital, the minimum they expect from us is professional medical care, support, clear communication and respectful treatment,” he said.
The minister, however, commended health workers who continued to perform their duties diligently and uphold professional and ethical standards.
He said such dedication remained important to building public confidence in government-owned health institutions.
Salako assured hardworking health workers that their efforts would eventually be recognised and rewarded.
“I must appreciate our many health workers who continue to work diligently and maintain high ethical standards in their duties,” he said.
“I want to assure you that such conduct never goes unrewarded one way or the other, sooner or later. Even if man fails to appreciate and reward you, God Almighty will surely do.”
‘Every siren must symbolise hope’
The minister urged Ogun State health authorities and the management of the beneficiary institutions to ensure that the new emergency assets were protected and deployed strictly for their intended purposes.
He said the intervention should translate into shorter response times, better emergency referrals, improved patient outcomes and fewer preventable deaths.
Salako said the Federal Government would continue to strengthen partnerships with subnational governments and other stakeholders to build a more resilient emergency medical system.
He called on stakeholders to work towards an emergency healthcare system that was accessible, responsive, coordinated, equitable, resilient and sustainable.
He said, “Every siren must symbolise hope, every response must reflect preparedness, and every rescued life must stand as evidence of a health system that is becoming stronger, more humane, and more responsive to the needs of the Nigerian people.”
The minister said the ultimate objective of the intervention was to ensure that Nigerians could receive appropriate medical attention when emergencies occur, particularly in situations where delays could determine life or death.
He added that the Federal Government remained committed to strengthening emergency medical services as part of broader efforts to improve healthcare delivery under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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