Health Ministry Upgrades Emergency Response On Highway
By Victor Ernest with agency report
The Minister of  State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Wednesday announced that the health ministry is upgrading emergency response and healthcare services to sustain modern standards along Abuja-Kaduna highway.
According to the minister, the aim of the upgrade is to bring standard emergency response to Nigeria.
He said the ministry had been building consolidated emergency response plan for Nigerian highways in the past one year to assist the Ministry of Aviation.
He disclosed that the plan was being developed in collaboration with partners and stakeholders through an ad hoc technical working group which had been conducting training.
The minister further informed that six strategically located health centres along the Abuja-Kaduna highway has been assessed and identified as primary response centres.
Ehanire mentioned the Anglican Mission Hospital Katari, General Hospital Dora, FRSC Clinic Kakau, PHC Duse, Rigasa Health Centre and St. Gerard’s Hospital Kaduna as the response centres.
He added that a total of 11 ambulances, staffed with trained personnel will be stationed at designated facilities along the highway to operate in shifts and to work round the clock.
According to the minister, the staff that would be deployed would provide basic first aid and convey victims to the nearest health facility as safely and as quickly as possible, while the Nigerian Police will be on patrol as part of the security response.
