FG laments missing links in Nigeria’s healthcare during emergencies

The Federal Government has lamented the missing links in the tertiary, secondary and primary levels of the Nigerian healthcare sector under the health emergency cases.

The National Programme Manager of the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), Dr Saidu Ahmed Dambulwa in his presentation at the meeting with the National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee (NEMTC) and other stakeholders said when an emergency occurs, transporting the victim to the nearby health facility as well as who pays the medical bill always constitute the missing links.

Dambulwa, therefore, said when NEMTC and NEMSAS are fully operationalized, not only the missing link will be taken care of, but healthcare delivery in Nigeria will become more affordable.

At the meeting, discussions was based on the need to fully operationalize NEMSA so that Nigerians could benefit; Train the trainers programme to be introduced in order to build capacity both at the State and national levels to include the 774 Local Government Councils in Nigeria as well as close monitoring trend should be instituted especially at the Primary Health Care level.

Also, the periodic auditing of the whole exercise/NEMSA program to encourage efficiency, productivity and sustainability of the programme also top the agenda and the need for media personnel to be given the requisite training on how to also handle health-related emergencies.

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Health related bills and tariffs at all levels should be reviewed to accommodate current realities on ground among others.

NEMSAS, SEMSAS and private medical health providers were optimistic that when this program is fully operationalized, health care delivery in Nigeria will greatly be enhanced.

So far, six states have shown their readiness and interest to kick-start the programme in their respective states, namely, Yobe, Kano, Rivers, Sokoto, Ekiti and Anambra States.

The two days stakeholders meeting which was approved by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire and supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) was coordinated by the National Program Manager, NEMSAS.