Ekiti govt urges residents to use free emergency ambulance services
By Boye Oyeyemi –
The Ekiti State Government has urged residents to make use of the Ekiti State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System for quick medical response during emergencies requiring urgent attention.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said the initiative was designed to ensure prompt treatment for illnesses and injuries while reducing preventable deaths in homes, workplaces and on roads across the state.
Filani, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mrs Olusola Gbenga Igotun, spoke in Ado Ekiti during the quarterly meeting of the Ekiti State Emergency Medical Treatment Committee involving key stakeholders in the health sector.
He explained that the emergency system provides on-site treatment, pre-hospital care and rapid transportation of patients to appropriate health facilities when urgent medical intervention is required.
The commissioner added that the ambulance service covers not only road accidents but also medical emergencies such as maternity cases, domestic incidents and other health-related crises.
The state coordinator of the programme, Dr Olumide Obe, said the service focuses on rescue operations by providing efficient transportation linking sick or injured persons and women in labour to hospitals, noting that collaboration among stakeholders has improved service delivery.
Obe also clarified that ambulances are meant strictly for rescue operations and not for conveying corpses, encouraging residents to utilise the free service through designated emergency contact numbers whenever urgent medical assistance is needed.
