Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has stated that the State will soon launch an independent Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System to complement the Primary Health Care services, and the recently-launched State Health Insurance Scheme.
The Governor made this known, when he took delivery of the initial six, of ten fully- equipped ambulances, at the Government House, Uyo.
Speaking with Government House correspondents while inspecting the ambulances, Gov. Eno said the gesture was a reaffirmation of his commitment to enhance healthcare services in the State, in line with the aspirations of his administration’s ARISE Agenda.
According to the Governor, the Akwa Ibom State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (AKISEMSAS) will run as a stand alone system, run by qualified personnel, but complementary to the Health Insurance Scheme and other components of the State’s Health Sector, to ensure swift response to medical emergencies, as is obtainable in some countries across the world.
He directed that health workers be selected and trained on requisite skills to ensure optimum service delivery on the emergency services.
He commended the special features of the ambulances and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to support good ventures that would serve the interest of Akwa Ibom people in fulfillment of his campaign promises.
“We want to create an Independent ambulance service system, a stand alone service, headed by qualified personnel. The Ambulance service is special, and they can run independently.
“If we have this ambulance system working, our health insurance working, our hospitals working and we have the medical team working, pay the medical Doctors well and make them happy, we should be able to revive our health sector as part of our ARISE Agenda,” Governor Eno stated.
The Senior Special Assistant, Medicals, and Personal Physician to the Governor, Dr. Ekem John, who coordinated the inspection of the ambulances, commended Governor Umo Eno’s integrity in keeping to his promise of availing the State of a workable medical emergency service in addition to other lofty projects to boost healthcare services in the state, while also building a sizeable network of roads and other laudable projects.
According to the Governor’s Chief Physician, the interventions of the Umo Eno- led administration in the health sector has placed Akwa Ibom State in sync with the current federal government policies in the sector, thereby guaranteeing access to the consolidated revenue fund for healthcare.
