The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said that Federal government has finalized plans to unveil an emergency medical service and ambulance system to provide timely and effective emergency medical service to the citizens.
Ehanire made the remarks during a press conference in Abuja on a multi-stakeholder partnership coordination platform for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, and elderly health and nutrition.
He claims that by reducing delays in physical and financial access, particularly at night, an effective emergency medical treatment service may reduce mortality by nearly half.
‘Effective collaboration with the media sector in enhancing the health and well-being of women, girls, adolescents, and the elderly,’ was the title of his presentation.
“Eliminating delays in access to healthcare will indeed minimize the high mortality rates,” Ehanire said. The Federal Government is preparing to launch the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System, which will provide people with timely and effective emergency medical care.
“It will include first responders responding quickly to medical emergency calls of all sorts, transporting patients to hospitals, and providing guaranteed first aid at the point of treatment at no immediate cost to the consumer.
“There is need to strengthen engagement with media institutions and improve strategic communication tools, working with various media platforms to drive social and behaviour change communication and influence attitudes towards reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent and elderly health plus nutrition.”
The Minister went on to say that the media would play a role in fostering social cohesion and reshaping norms in order to act as a catalyst for positive health-seeking conduct.
