……with the emergency toll free number, anyone can call 112 and get a quick response- Dr. Ismaila Musa
In the undeterred fight to save the lives of Nigerians and provide medical services nationwide, the National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee (NEMTC), has revealed that pregnant women and others can access ambulance services.
This was revealed at a retreat by the NEMTC, while addressing some of the progress made so far and challenges faced.
The aim of the retreat, was to corroborate the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) gateway guidelines, identify key indicators, and the roles of the EMT gateway structures- NEMTC, NEMSAS, SEMTC and SEMSAS, and the delineation of their scope. In which the NEMTC to guide operationalization further divided the gateways into pillars, creating strategic and specific objectives, activities, measurable indicators and enablers.
Speaking, the NEMTC Chairman, Dr. Ismaila Musa Jibrin, in addressing some of the gaps identified since the inauguration of the NEMTC, said “some of the major gaps identified, is the lack of awareness in the communities about the presense of the services, and even the existence of emergency toll free number, that anyone can call 112 and get a response quickly, and they do not quite understand that it is much easier and faster to call than to drag someone into a taxi or keke to a hospital.”
Dr. Ismaila further said, that as for now 16 states out of the 36 states in Nigeria has been reached, with hopes and ongoing plans to expand connection across all states.
“These are some of the gaps we are hoping to address and are also, looking to addressing most of the challenges that have to do with communication, personnel, equipment and basic health care provision fund, it gets 5% of the basic health care provision fund to hand operations of the emergency medical treatment and the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, has made this as an emphasis, to support the committee in all ways possible or even sourcing additional funds.
“We are also working with partners such as the world health organization, the world bank and other partners have also been very helpful in resourcing for this activities. So part of the resources, will be used to provide those services.
“The goal here is that, any mother who is either pregnant or in delivery that has an emergency can get an ambulance transport to go to an emergency room and get treatment without any regard to her ability to pay.”
Dr. Saidu Ahmed Dumbulwa, the National Programme Manager NEMSAS, who also doubles as the Secretary NEMTC, said that an MoU was signed for NEMSAS in july for maternity care.
According to Dr. Saidu, “the essence of the MoU, is to see how best we can harness the potential that is there at the World Bank project, and part of the efforts of the government is with the view to actually reduce hyperpigmentation of activities in the country within the development partners funds and the government funds also. So, that was actually in efforts to bring everybody together.
“So we signed the MoU in a bid to actually ensure that all the States that are rolled out or flagged off, and is at a pilot or full scale, commences the Rural Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance Maternal Trasnsport, cause that is the key”
