Tinubu launches 145 tricycle ambulances, others for emergency services

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday launched critical health infrastructure and emergency medical assets, including 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances and dispatch equipment under the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) to strengthen emergency health care delivery nationwide. Tinubu, who performed the launch virtually, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s health care […]

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday launched critical health infrastructure and emergency medical assets, including 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances and dispatch equipment under the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) to strengthen emergency health care delivery nationwide.

Tinubu, who performed the launch virtually, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s health care system and expanding access to quality medical services across the country.

Speaking at the virtual presidential launch, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described the event as a historic milestone aimed at improving emergency response, health care delivery and disease outbreak preparedness nationwide.

Salako said the launch featured the deployment of assets under the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), including 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances and emergency communication and dispatch equipment to strengthen pre-hospital care services across Nigeria.

According to him, the intervention reflects federal government’s resolve to ensure that no Nigerian loses his or her life because medical help could not arrive on time.

He added that several major health infrastructure projects across the six geopolitical zones were also commissioned during the event.

The projects include emergency operation centres in Kano, Sokoto and Katsina states; the Lagos Vaccine Hub; primary health care infrastructure in Delta State and tertiary health care projects in federal health institutions.

Among the projects commissioned are the Trauma Centre at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria; the Mental Health Complex at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital; the Infertility and Assisted Reproductive Technology Centre in Bauchi; the Laboratory Complex at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital; and the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Complex at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja.

Salako disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its agencies had lined up more than 100 projects to mark the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration, with selected projects chosen for presidential commissioning.

The permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachallom, said the ambulances would significantly improve health care delivery and emergency response, especially in underserved communities.

“These ambulances are going down to the rural areas, and they will be stationed at the primary health care centres, where there are trained drivers, while nurses will accompany the ambulances anytime they need to be moved,” she said.

The national programme manager of the NEMSAS, Demuren Doubra, explained that the tricycle ambulances were designed to transport pregnant women and newborns during emergencies in hard-to-reach communities.

According to him, the vehicle ambulances powered by compressed natural gas would be distributed to federal tertiary facilities, while the tricycle ambulances would operate at community level.

He said the ambulances were being deployed across 15 states under a World Bank-supported IMPACT project and would serve local government areas.

Doubra said that over 58,000 women and more than 2,000 newborns had already benefitted from emergency transport interventions under the programme.

He cited the case of a pregnant woman who travelled over 180 kilometres from Dukku Local Government Area in Gombe State and later delivered triplets safely.

“This is a woman that would have died because of a gap in transportation,” he said.

According to Doubra, Nigeria records 75,000 maternal deaths annually due to delays in seeking care, reaching health care facilities and receiving quality treatment, while about 280,000 newborns die yearly.