PRESS RELEASE

NEMA TO PARTNER WITH NRCS ON AMBULANCE SERVICES


The National Emergency Management Agency is to partner with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) to commence the provision of ambulance services in the country.

Director General of the agency AVM Mohammed M. Audu-Bida (rtd) disclosed this in Abuja today when he received in his office, a delegation from the international partners of the Nigerian Red Cross Society led by the national adviser of the society on disaster management, Alhaji Danyaro Aliyu Yakasai. He said though the agency has already procured some units of ambulance vehicles, it will beef up the number for the services to commence on a pilot basis in Abuja before spreading to cover other parts of the country.

“Ambulance service is seriously needed in Nigeria. We need virile and active ambulance services for emergency rescue which can be realized with the pulling together of resources and partnership among the relevant agencies and organizations,” he said. Therefore, according to him, the federal ministry of health would also be involved in the provision of the services.

He said in view of the absence of formal curriculum on disaster management in the country, NEMA has adopted the Nigerian Red Cross Society in providing training on basic first aid to participants of its grassroots emergency volunteers programmes. He also noted the useful potential of the society in disaster Early Warning. The Director General said with the potentials of the society in Nigeria, it should brace up to assert itself in playing a more leading role among other African countries.

Leader of the international partners of the Nigerian Red Cross Society Mr. Mohammed Hamza of the Swedish Rescue Services Agency said they were in Nigeria to work with the society under its West African Capacity Building Project on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The National Adviser of the Society, Alhaji Yakassai, a former Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, said with its over 350,000 well trained volunteers it has designed a programme for the Niger Delta area and will build clinic in each of the 36 states in addition to the ambulance services.


4TH November 2008