The Ebonyi State Government, in collaboration with the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) and the Rural Emergency Services Medical Ambulance Transport (RESMAT), has launched an initiative to enhance healthcare delivery for mothers and children.
Announcing the partnership during a press briefing in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, emphasized the state government’s commitment to fast-tracking emergency medical responses in rural areas.
“This partnership aims to provide free transportation and emergency care for pregnant women, women in labor, and children under five in rural areas,” Dr. Ekuma explained. “Patients will receive free treatment within their first 24 hours in healthcare facilities.”
The initiative, according to Ekuma, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and Governor Francis Nwifuru’s healthcare reform agenda.
Dr. Ekuma outlined the program’s goal of reducing maternal and under-5 mortality rates by addressing transportation delays, a key contributor to emergency healthcare challenges.
“By deploying tricycles, ambulances, and even boats, this project is designed to ensure no pregnant woman or child suffers avoidable delays in accessing healthcare,” he stated.
Ebonyi is the first state in the South-East geopolitical zone to enroll in the RESMAT initiative. This achievement, Dr. Ekuma said, was made possible by Governor Nwifuru’s proactive leadership and the unwavering support of his wife, Chief Mrs. Uzoamaka Ogbonna Nwifuru.
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The program, facilitated by NEMSAS, will also leverage behavioral change campaigns and governance-strengthening efforts to promote maternal health in underserved communities.
NEMSAS Head of Operations, Dr. Emuren Doubra, praised Ebonyi’s leadership and reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to expanding the initiative.
“By 2025, we aim to reach 1.7 million pregnant women across 15 states, including Ebonyi, through rural emergency and maternal transportation services,” Dr. Doubra disclosed.
Doubra highlighted the use of innovative transport methods like tricycles and boat ambulances to access remote areas, ensuring timely intervention for emergencies.
With the federal government spearheading similar initiatives across 15 states, Ebonyi is positioning itself as a model for maternal and child healthcare reforms in Nigeria.
“This program is demand-driven, with a focus on saving lives and improving access to quality healthcare for rural dwellers and the less privileged,” Dr. Doubra added.
