The Federal Government has commenced the nationwide distribution of Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances and tricycle ambulances as part of efforts to strengthen emergency medical response and improve access to timely healthcare in rural and underserved communities.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms. Daju Kachollom S., disclosed this on Monday at the flag-off ceremony held at the National Trauma Centre, Riyom, Plateau State.
Kachollom said the intervention was designed to address transportation and last-mile challenges in emergency healthcare, stressing that delays in accessing medical care could mean the difference between life and death.
She also announced that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, had approved the Riyom General Hospital as an outpost of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), following the cooperation of the Plateau State Government.
She commended the state government for its partnership and commitment to improving healthcare delivery in the state.
According to her, the initiative is anchored on the principle that “distance should not determine whether a life is saved,” particularly in cases involving maternal and newborn emergencies, childhood illnesses, road crashes and other trauma-related emergencies.
She explained that the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) provides the framework for coordinated emergency medical services across the country.
The Permanent Secretary noted that Plateau State already has several emergency-care interventions, including the State Ambulance System, JUTH’s emergency-care pathway and the Rural Emergency Service and Maternal Transport (RESMAT) initiative, which has been strengthened through the SAVEMAMA Digital RESMAT platform.
“Minutes matter in emergency care. The difference between timely transportation and delay can quite literally be the difference between life and death,” she said.
Kachollom said the initiative was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the health sector, assuring that the Ministry would ensure proper deployment, maintenance, staffing, monitoring and accountability of the assets.
She urged Plateau State and other beneficiary states to take ownership of the vehicles and deploy them to communities with the greatest need.
“The Federal Government has made its contribution, and we expect the State Government to complement this investment through appropriate budgetary commitments and contributory funding to strengthen and sustain emergency medical services across Plateau State,” she said.
She added that the success of the programme would not be measured by the number of ambulances distributed, but by the number of lives saved and preventable deaths and disabilities reduced.
Representing Plateau State Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang at the ceremony, the Deputy Governor, Josephine Piyo, commended President Tinubu and the Federal Government for the intervention, describing the ambulances as a strategic investment in emergency healthcare.
She said the deployment of the vehicles would help overcome difficult terrain and accessibility challenges in underserved communities, while improving patient transportation, referrals between healthcare facilities and the overall emergency response chain.
According to her, the intervention aligned with Plateau State’s healthcare priorities, including the earlier procurement of five tricycle ambulances under the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Innovative Initiative in Jos East Local Government Area.
The Deputy Governor assured the Federal Government that the ambulances would be properly deployed, responsibly utilised and adequately maintained for their intended purpose.
She also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to building a coordinated healthcare system linking prevention, emergency response, transportation, referral, treatment and continuity of care.
The Chief Medical Director of JUTH said the intervention was already yielding significant results, revealed that only one maternal mortality had been recorded in Jos East in the last six months, while Riyom had recorded none.
He disclosed that about 1,115 patients had been transported in Jos East Local Government Area and more than 900 patients in Riyom under the initiative.
The CMD said the programme was significant to the state’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality, noting that Plateau State’s maternal mortality rate, previously estimated at about 905 per 100,000 live births, had dropped to approximately 500 per 100,000.
He expressed optimism that the figure could eventually be reduced to about 100 per 100,000.
The JUTH chief appreciated healthcare workers, particularly those in tertiary institutions, for their contributions, while commending the Federal Ministry of Health for providing an additional 10 brand-new tricycles to Plateau State.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Riyom Local Government Area, Bature Sati Shuwa, expressed delight over the establishment of the JUTH outpost in Riyom.
He described the development as a product of good and patriotic leadership, saying the facility would attract people from different communities to access quality medical treatment.
Shuwa thanked the Federal Government, Plateau State Government and other stakeholders for making the JUTH outpost a reality.
The nationwide distribution of ALS ambulances and tricycles is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency medical transportation network and improve access to lifesaving care, particularly for communities facing geographical and transportation barriers.
