Benue State has been officially onboarded onto the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), aimed at improving access to emergency medical care for vulnerable citizens.
The initiative provides eligible vulnerable patients transported by ambulance with rapid access to treatment for up to 48 hours at designated health facilities.
Speaking at a two-day stakeholder sensitisation and onboarding programme for NEMSAS and the rollout of the State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (SEMSAS) in Makurdi on Wednesday, the Benue Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Ejeh Ogwuche, commended Gov. Hyacinth Alia for creating an enabling environment for the state to participate in the programme.
Ogwuche said the initiative aligned with the governor’s vision of improving access to healthcare across the state, describing it as a major step towards saving lives during emergencies.
He pledged that the programme would be extended to local communities to ensure faster emergency response and assured stakeholders that the ministry would work to ensure its success.
Giving an overview of NEMSAS, Timothy Cosmos commended the Benue Government for joining the programme, saying it had achieved 99 per cent activation nationwide.
He said only Imo State was yet to join the initiative, which was designed to provide rapid emergency medical response and save the lives of vulnerable Nigerians.
According to him, NEMSAS covers up to 48 hours of treatment for vulnerable patients brought to health facilities through the ambulance system.
He listed emergencies covered by the programme to include fire incidents, gunshot wounds, communal clashes and building collapses.
Cosmos also urged the Benue Government to invest in the programme and encourage private ambulance operators to participate.
The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Samuel Mbasoruum, and the World Health Organisation representative in the state, Abdulkarim Mohammed, pledged their commitment to the successful implementation of the programme.
Similarly, the Director of Medical Services and Training, Dr Solomon Wombo, urged stakeholders to take ownership of SEMSAS and play their respective roles in making the system functional and sustainable across the state.
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