…Approves Riyom General Hospital as JUTH Outpost
By Fatima Saka
RIYOM, Plateau State — The Federal Government has commenced the nationwide distribution of Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances and tricycle ambulances to strengthen emergency medical response and improve access to timely healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms. Daju Kachollom S., mni, disclosed this on Monday at the national flag-off ceremony held at the National Trauma Centre, Riyom, Plateau State.
Kachollom said the intervention was designed to address emergency transportation and last-mile healthcare challenges in hard-to-reach communities, stressing that delays in accessing emergency care could determine whether a life is saved.
She said the initiative was anchored on the principle that “distance should not determine whether a life is saved,” particularly in cases involving maternal and newborn emergencies, childhood illnesses, road crashes and other trauma.
The Permanent Secretary also announced that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, had approved Riyom General Hospital as an outpost of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), following collaboration with the Plateau State Government.
She commended the state government for its cooperation and commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery in Plateau State.
According to her, the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) provides the framework for coordinated emergency medical services across the country.
She noted that Plateau State already had complementary interventions, including the State Ambulance System, JUTH’s emergency-care pathway and the Rural Emergency Service and Maternal Transport (RESMAT) initiative, which has been strengthened by the SAVEMAMA Digital RESMAT platform.
“Minutes matter in emergency care. The difference between timely transportation and delay can quite literally be the difference between life and death,” Kachollom said.
She explained that the intervention was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the health sector, assuring that the Ministry would ensure proper deployment, maintenance, staffing, monitoring and accountability.
Kachollom urged Plateau State and other beneficiary states to take ownership of the vehicles and ensure their deployment to communities with the greatest need.
“The Federal Government has made its contribution, and we expect the State Government to complement this investment through appropriate budgetary commitments and contributory funding to strengthen and sustain emergency medical services across Plateau State,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that the success of the programme would not be measured by the number of ambulances and tricycles distributed, but by the number of lives saved and preventable deaths and disabilities reduced.
Plateau applauds intervention
Speaking at the event, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, represented by his Deputy, Josephine Piyo, commended President Tinubu and the Federal Government for the intervention.
He described the ambulances as a strategic investment in emergency healthcare, noting that their deployment would help address the difficult terrain and accessibility challenges confronting underserved communities.
According to him, the vehicles would facilitate timely transportation of patients, referrals between healthcare facilities and strengthen the emergency response chain, particularly in situations where every second counts.
The governor said the intervention aligns with Plateau State’s healthcare priorities, including the state’s earlier procurement of five tricycle ambulances for the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Innovative Initiative in Jos East.
He assured the Federal Government that the ambulances would be properly deployed, responsibly utilised and adequately maintained for their intended purpose.
Mutfwang reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building a coordinated healthcare system linking prevention, emergency response, transportation, referral, treatment and continuity of care.
Maternal deaths declining
The Chief Medical Director of JUTH, while speaking at the ceremony, disclosed that only one maternal mortality had been recorded in Jos East in the last six months, while Riyom had recorded no maternal mortality during the period.
He said the emergency transport initiative had so far facilitated the transportation of about 1,115 patients in Jos East Local Government Area and more than 900 patients in Riyom Local Government Area.
The JUTH CMD described the programme as significant to efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Plateau State and Nigeria.
He recalled that the state’s maternal mortality rate was previously about 905 deaths per 100,000 live births, but had now dropped to approximately 500 per 100,000, expressing optimism that sustained interventions could bring the figure down to about 100.
He commended health workers, particularly those in tertiary institutions, and thanked the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for providing an additional 10 brand-new tricycles to Plateau State.
Riyom welcomes JUTH outpost
The Chairman of Riyom Local Government Area, Hon. Bature Sati Shuwa, expressed delight over the establishment of the JUTH outpost in Riyom, describing it as a product of purposeful and patriotic leadership.
Shuwa said the facility would attract patients from surrounding communities and beyond, while improving access to quality medical treatment.
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He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, Plateau State Government, JUTH and other stakeholders whose efforts contributed to the establishment of the outpost.
The Federal Government said the nationwide emergency transport intervention would strengthen the referral system and bring life-saving emergency services closer to Nigerians, particularly those living in rural, remote and underserved communities.
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