…Minister Warns Against Misuse of Ambulances, Promises Action on Alleged Unprofessional Practices at FMC Abeokuta
4 September 2026: The Federal Government has deployed 13 ambulances to strengthen emergency medical services and improve access to timely, life-saving care across Ogun State.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Friday at the flag-off and distribution of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Basic Life Support (BLS) and tricycle ambulances to selected health facilities in Ogun State under the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), held at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta.
Dr Salako said the intervention was part of the Federal Government’s commitment, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to strengthen emergency medical transportation, first-responder capacity, communication systems and emergency-care coordination across the country.
According to him, the Federal Government has acquired 145 tricycle ambulances, six boats, 15 BLS ambulances and 79 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances, alongside laptops, printers and communication devices, as the first phase of a national effort to strengthen Nigeria’s Emergency Medical Services System.
He said Ogun State is a beneficiary of three ALS ambulances, one BLS ambulance and nine tricycle ambulances, targeted at Federal and State tertiary institutions, including FMC Abeokuta and Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), as well as selected high-volume, remote secondary and primary healthcare facilities.
The Minister noted that through NEMSAS and the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, more than 48,000 women have received free emergency obstetric care, while over 4,000 women have benefited from free caesarean sections in NHIA-empanelled facilities.
He said the interventions had contributed to a 17 per cent reduction in maternal deaths and a 12 per cent reduction in newborn deaths across 172 high-burden Local Government Areas.
Dr Salako stressed that the importance of emergency medical services goes beyond the provision of ambulances, noting that survival in emergencies often depends on how quickly patients can be stabilised, transported and connected to definitive hospital care.
“The true value of these ambulances will be measured not by their presence at today’s ceremony, but by their performance in moments of crisis—when a mother in labour needs urgent transfer, when a road crash victim requires rapid stabilisation, or when a child in respiratory distress must reach care without delay,” he said.
He explained that the Federal Government’s approach had evolved from simply providing ambulances to developing a coordinated emergency-care system linking dispatch, communication, trained personnel, pre-hospital care, transportation, referral pathways and receiving hospitals.
The Minister who urged the Ogun State Government and beneficiary facilities to ensure proper deployment, maintenance and accountability for the assets, also called on them to provide complementary operational and maintenance funding to guarantee the sustainability of emergency medical services, warning that the ambulances must not be diverted for non-emergency purposes.
He specifically directed that the ambulances must be deployed according to identified emergency-care needs, properly maintained, used exclusively for designated emergency medical services, operated by trained personnel, and subjected to effective monitoring and documentation.
“These ambulances are not hearses for moving corpses or vehicles for going to the market to purchase goods, including drugs and other hospital consumables,” he cautioned.
The Minister also announced that the Federal Government would work with the legislative arm and other stakeholders to address the fragmented regulatory framework governing first responders and emergency management in Nigeria.
He said NEMSAS, in partnership with relevant Federal Government agencies, would continue efforts to establish a unified framework connecting emergency dispatch, pre-hospital care, transportation and receiving hospitals.
While commending health workers who continue to discharge their responsibilities diligently and uphold high ethical standards, he disclosed that his office had received complaints and media reports alleging unprofessional conduct, dereliction of duty and illegal collection of levies by some officials of the Centre.
He said the complaints would receive comprehensive attention, adding that anyone found culpable would be sanctioned in accordance with the Public Service Rules.
“We must sustain the confidence of the public in Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta. When patients come to our hospitals, the minimum they expect is professional medical care, support, clear communication and respectful treatment,” he said.
The Minister called for stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, Ogun State Government, health facilities, emergency responders, security agencies, private-sector stakeholders and communities to build an emergency medical system that is accessible, coordinated, equitable, resilient and sustainable, noting that the initiative,
ultimately demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to saving lives and restoring dignity to Nigerians at moments of greatest need.
“Every siren must symbolise hope, every response must reflect preparedness, and every rescued life must stand as evidence of a health system that is becoming stronger, more humane and more responsive to the needs of the Nigerian people,” Dr Salako said.
Ado Bako
Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations.
