According to our source – vanguard
The occasion which had the Minister of Health, Professor
Isaac Adewole and the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria ,
Mr. Sadanobu Kusaoke as well as top officials of the Ministry in attendance,
also paraded representatives of beneficiary institutions, many of whom couldn’t
hide their excitement about the donation.
In his opening remarks, Professor Adewole praised Japan
for keeping faith with the promise made to Nigeria
a few years ago. “This is the outcome of the note-verbal agreement signed by
the Federal Government represented by the National Planning Commission now
Ministry of Budget & National Planning and the Japanese Government
represented by the Japanese Embassy on the 30th September, 2014.
“I am aware that the 31
Ambulances that are being handed over today is the first phase, and that
another additional 12 ambulances will be handed over to us by 2018, as the
second phase,” Adewole said.
According to the Minister, the singular act of generosity by
the Asia giant would further deepen relationship between
the countries in the years ahead, adding that the Ministry of Health would now
be more responsive to emergency situations with the ambulances in the service
of the various health centres in the country.
“This move by the Japanese
government has provided the opportunity to strengthen greater collaboration and
partnership between our two countries. With this kind gesture, our bilateral
tie is further deepened. This gesture will contribute immensely in supporting
the Federal Government’s efforts in strengthening the National Emergency Response
Programme (NERP) of the Federal Ministry of Health. Although we need a pool of
ambulances dedicated solely to the NERP, the provision of these ambulances to
our Tertiary Heath Institutions across the states will ensure that emergency
cases requiring ambulance services will be promptly delivered,” he noted.
And given the worrisome statistics of road crashes in Nigeria ,
the Minister said government is doing everything possible to address the
situation, noting that the loss to Nigeria
annually from road fatalities runs into billions of naira.
“According to World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2015,
1 in every 4 road crash deaths in Africa occur in Nigeria ,
having a higher death toll than malaria. Hardly does a day go by without the
occurrence of road accidents leading to injuries and death with lots of
financial implication to both the society and the individuals involved…Also,
Nigeria loses about N80 billion annually to road accidents. “In response to
this ugly trend, the Federal Ministry of Health for the first time in 2016
produced a robust Policy on Emergency Medical Services including use of
ambulance. The policy links emergency services personnel, trauma pathways,
Integrated National Ambulance Service System, and the toll free 3-digit number 112,
to government agencies in the business of emergency services. This is to be
coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health. The policy further delineates
roles and responsibilities of agencies involved in emergency response to
eliminate inter-agency rivalry and ensure interoperability and synergy among
agencies,” he explained. On his part, Ambassador Kusaoke expressed the
readiness of the Japanese government to continue to assist Nigeria ,
noting that “health is a top priority in Japan ’s
relationship” with the nation. Japan ,
he noted “has been providing various equipments and medical facilities for
health services in Nigeria ,”
and will continue to do in the years ahead. Beneficiary Institutions include
the University of Ilorin
Teaching Hospital University of
Abuja Teaching Hospital University
of Uyo Teaching Hospital National
Orthopedic Hospital Enugu amongst others.
Tags
NEWS