Photo caption : The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has commenced talks with European aircraft manufacturing giant, Airbus on the procurement of emergency medical helicopters for Nigeria.
The talks, which was held in France held in France, are part of plans to develop an integrated national ground-to-air emergency response system, following approval by President Bola Tinubu.
Pate, who visited an air ambulance facility in Lyon, inspected an Airbus emergency care helicopter and outlined the Federal Government’s plan to strengthen emergency medical services across the country.
Speaking during the inspection on Monday, the minister said the initiative forms part of efforts to expand both public and private health infrastructure.
“We’re expanding Nigeria’s public health infrastructure, but also private sector infrastructure for medical care, including emergencies. And the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulances Scheme is being revamped with underground ambulances for our cities, as well as the rural emergency medical ambulances, he said.
“Now we’re here in Lyon to look at the helicopter emergency medical services, look at the Airbus helicopters, which are the dominant helicopters used globally for the air ambulances, but fit within the health system, within the personnel that we have, within the context of the capacity that exists, and the financing model that can make it sustainable,” he added.
The Federal Government,Pate noted was exploring the use of helicopter emergency medical services to complement existing systems, adding that
the initiative would involve collaboration between the health sector, civil aviation authorities, and the military to build a sustainable emergency response framework.
Pate hinted that the proposed system would enable faster response to trauma cases and critical medical conditions, including heart attacks and strokes, particularly in areas with limited access to advanced healthcare facilities.
According to him, “This is taking our health sector one step further, building a health system that will serve Nigerians, that will be getting closer to the standards that anyone can expect anywhere in the world. It’s a long journey. We’re starting it.”
Culled from a video published by Channels Television
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