The FCT Administration has said 66 personnel will be involved in pilot phase of the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) that is about to begin.
The Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, Abubakar Tafida said this followed the approval of a memo on the scheme by the FCT Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting on Monday, 14th March
“As part of the National Health Act 2014, the Federal Government approved for 5 percent of the basic healthcare provision fund to be used for emergency medical and ambulance services and I’m happy to say that the Federal Capital Territory Executive Committee has approved the immediate implementation of the pilot scheme in the FCT as well as granting us the permission to engage a total of 66 personnel for this pilot programme”.
Under the scheme, residents of the FCT are to taken care in the event of any injury or any ill health capable of risking the life or permanent disability to the health of that individual.
The individual is also to transported ny an ambulance to an emergency treatment centre in designated hospitals and treatment would be provided until such a person is stabilized for further treatment in that same hospital or transferred to a higher hospital where better care appropriate for that injury or ill health is provided.
“During the first 48 hours of an emergency, not a single dime would be asked from this particular individual. So, essentially, it’s a big plus for the health sector where a lot of delays would narrowed and where lives would be saved and disabilities are reduced maximally or even avoided”.
Tafida also disclosed that the FCT Administration has begun a dry run for the pilot phase of the Scheme and challenges and possible problems have been identified.
“We are integrating these challenges as corrected in the next dry run before finally, we begin a real pilot involving real patients, into our hospitals” he said.
It would be recalled that the FCT was selected to pilot the new National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System, which is a national programme of the Federal Ministry of Health that will be implemented in the 36 state of the Federation and the FCT.
It is expected to provide a prehospital care in the form of ambulance services, to transport patients to hospitals and emergency medical treatment services for up to 48 hours in the hospitals at no immediate cost to the patient at the point of care.
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