NEMA Air Ambulance has resumed operations after successful routine maintenance and completion of all civil aviation requirements.
An official inaugural return flight was held as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq and Director General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mustapha Habib Ahmed, were conveyed from Abuja to Dutse, on official engagement.
In 2014, NEMA introduced its first air ambulance for emergency health care.
The airplane, which was launched at the Trauma Center of the National Hospital, Abuja, was for quick transportation of patients with emergency cases.
Captain Ibrahim Mamman, the then Chief Pilot and Head of the NEMA Special Wing Wing of the agency, said the project was part of the transformation agenda of the Federal Government of the time.
He said, “The air ambulance can be used to transport patients with critical and traumatic health situation from anywhere the individual is.
“As a matter of fact, the jet can go anywhere in the world; it has the mile range of 3000 miles.”
In 2018, operations of the air ambulance services were grounded after it was due for routine maintenance and regulatory requirement.
Following changes in leadership, repair of the aircraft was completed last year 2021 and returned from France.
This year, the present management finalised all regulatory requirements in returning the aircraft to its ambulance operations.
