The Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Tuesday, presented 16 ambulances to primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across the state.
The governor said the gesture was aimed at effectively strengthening the health emergency response system at the grassroots.
The ambulances were purchased by the local government authorities, each to be stationed in the various primary health care centres in all the 16 local government areas of the state.
Presenting the ambulances on behalf of the local government councils, the governor said it was part of the efforts to fortify the healthcare system in the rural communities.
“This is the initiative of the local government areas. It is their money. It is basically to support the health services, especially the primary healthcare centres.
“For now, this is placing one ambulance per local government to move patients from basic healthcare centres to secondary or tertiary health facilities in a way to fortify the healthcare system. Of course, there are a few others with ambulances that our administration had donated to them in the past,” the governor said.
The commissioner for Health, Dr Amina el-Imam, said the development aligned with the objective of the administration to bring quality healthcare services to the doorsteps of all Kwarans, irrespective of their financial status.
“The objective of the state government is to achieve universal health coverage for people of the state, regardless of their position on the socio-economic ladder. The presence of one functional standard ambulance in every local government of Kwara state is no mean feat, while more will definitely be done to strengthen healthcare delivery,” she stated.
“We can rest assured now that the people in the hardest reached areas which are typically the least fortunate among us now have almost the same access as people living in the capital city as long as we know that there are ambulances that can transfer them immediately if there are medical emergencies.
“Why this is particularly dear to my heart is because His Excellency the Governor of Kwara State has undertaken and is still undertaking a massive statewide renovation of facilities. We are working assiduously to improve the quantity and quality of manpower in our facilities, and this (by the local governments) is just again to complement the existing structure that he had put in place and the ongoing activities that we have in the health sector,” the commissioner added.