In a concerted effort
to strengthen Nigeria’s Emergency Medical Ambulance System, the newly
inaugurated Members of the National Emergency Medical Treatment Committee
(NEMTC), held its second stakeholders meeting recently in Abuja, to brainstorm
and provide valuable insights and perspective on ways to enhance rural
emergency response services to address maternal and child mortality rates in
Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Ismaila Jibrin, during the meeting unveiled the vision of the NEMTC for the next 18 months, focusing on six major pillars.
The thematic pillars
are: Governance Partnership and Resource Mobilization; aimed at establishing
clear policies for emergency services, strategies for sustainable funding and
resource allocation, engaging government agencies, NGOs and private sector partner
and specific frame work for collaboration with private sector to enhance
service delivery.
Regulatory Compliance: Licensing requirements to include standards for the accreditation of ambulances, treatment centres and personnel; operational standards guidelines for the operation of emergency medical services. Legal frame work, compliance with national laws and regulations governing healthcare. Patient rights and advocacy; ensuring that patient rights are prioritized and protected in emergency situations as well as system for regular audits and assessment of service.
Quality Assurance: Performance metrics-establishing benchmarks for measuring service effectiveness; benchmarking against best practices, comparing performance metrics with leading emergency service globally. Patient care standards; protocols for ensuring high-quality medical care in emergencies. Continuous improvement; ongoing evaluation and refinement of services based on feedback and data. Training and development; regular training to maintain and improve personnel skills.
Others includes: Tariffs and Reimbursement: Tariff structure, establishing fair & competitive pricing for emergency services; insurance collaboration; working with insurance providers for coverage and reimbursement. Billing process, a streamlined system for processing payments and claims.
Communication dispatch
& technology integration: Emergency call centres; efficient system for
receiving calls; mobile technology; use of apps and systems
for real time
communication and tracking; dispatch protocols; standard procedures for
ambulance dispatch and coordination. Interoperability Standards; ensuring
communication systems can work across different agencies and regions. Data
management system implementing electronic recording and reporting tools.
Community awareness and
engagement: Public Education campaigns; initiatives to inform the public about
emergency services. Training program on first-aid and CPR training for
community members. Community support networks; building local volunteer groups
for emergency response. Feedback mechanism-systems for community input on
services and improvement
.
To achieve this feat,
sub-committees were formed under each pillar, tasked with the responsibility of
developing in-depth strategies to tackle challenges, proffer solutions to
enhance emergency medical response through a multi-stakeholder approach aimed at
reducing maternal and newborn mortality, during emergencies for improved health
outcomes.
Earlier, a
retrospective view of the operations of the NEMTC and NEMSAS was presented by
the National Programme Manager/Secretary NEMTC, Dr. Saidu Dumbulwa.
Among other members of
NEMTC who were present at the meeting, was the Co-Chairman, Prof. Seyeifa
Brisibe, who provided valuable insight on how to strengthen tariff
reimbursement mechanism.
Ado
Bako
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