(Ambulances. Photo by Premuim Times)
The federal government has started sending advanced ambulances across Nigeria to improve emergency medical services, especially in remote areas where people struggle to reach hospitals quickly.
Advanced Life Support ambulances and tricycle ambulances are being distributed to tackle what officials call last-mile problems the gap between where sick people are and where they can get help.
The government says in emergencies, minutes matter.
A delay in reaching a hospital can mean the difference between surviving and dying.
The ambulances will be used for maternal emergencies, sick children, road crashes and trauma cases.
The distribution is part of a nationwide emergency medical service system designed to coordinate help across all 36 states.
At the launch in Plateau State, the federal health ministry announced that Riyom General Hospital has been approved as an outpost of Jos University Teaching Hospital.
This means people in Riyom and nearby areas can access specialised medical care without having to travel to the main teaching hospital.
The existing emergency transport system has already moved over 2,000 patients in Plateau State.
In Jos East, only one mother d!ed in childbirth over the last six months, while Riyom had zero maternal d£aths.
The state’s maternal mortality rate has dropped from 905 deaths per 100,000 live births to about 500. Officials hope it will eventually fall to 100.
The Plateau State governor promised the ambulances would be used properly and maintained well.
He said the vehicles address transportation challenges caused by difficult terrain and poor roads in isolated communities.
The state has committed to a healthcare system that ties together prevention, emergency response, patient transport, referrals and ongoing treatment.
