By: Adelowo Oladipo, Minna
The Niger State Government has taken another step towards strengthening emergency medical services with the unveiling of a brand-new ambulance procured through a strategic partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Niger State Ministry of Health.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health Usman Jibrin Kodo stated this in a statement issued and made available to Newsmen in Minna
According to the statement, the ambulance was unveiled on Thursday by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Muhammad Bagana, at the General Hospital, Minna.
The intervention is part of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago- led administration’’s New Niger Health Agenda, which is aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for healthcare transformation.
At the ceremony, Bagana charged the Executive Medical Director of the Niger State Hospitals Management Board, Dr Isah Alhaji Umar, to ensure that the ambulance is deployed strictly for emergency medical response.
He described the vehicle as a critical intervention that would help reduce the impact of economic hardship on residents by providing timely and reliable transportation for patients during medical emergencies.
Bagana disclosed that the ambulance was facilitated through the intervention of the former Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Ado J.G. Mohammed.
He said the development underscored the importance of inter-governmental collaboration in closing critical gaps in healthcare delivery.
Receiving the ambulance on behalf of the board, Dr Umar pledged that the vehicle would be properly maintained and deployed to maximise its impact on emergency care delivery across the state’s 25 local government areas.
He said the ambulance would serve all residents, particularly people in remote and underserved communities who often face difficulties accessing timely emergency medical services.
The latest intervention comes as the state government intensifies investment in primary and secondary emergency referral services.
The administration has so far commissioned 20 Level 2 Primary Healthcare Centres across 16 LGAs, with plans to take it to 100 facilities across the state by the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, the initiative is aimed at bringing quality healthcare closer to rural communities while strengthening the state’s capacity to respond to medical emergencies.
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