Kaduna State Government, on Thursday, handed over new ambulances to 17 medical health facilities across the state.

The ambulances were handed to the health facilities by the Permanent Secretary of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, Adamu Mansir, in Kaduna.

Mansir said the ministry was committed to ensuring delivery of quality healthcare services to citizens of the state.

He said: “One of the things we are doing is to ensure that the emergency medical system and ambulance system are strengthened.

“We know that we have ambulances in the medical facilities but some of them are outdated, and going by our policy, we need to change them as and when due, as we all know the importance of ambulance.”

The Permanent Secretary added that the ambulances given should not be kept in only one facility but must be made to serve other primary health centres under such facility.

“We have 1,095 primary health facilities, 31 secondary health facilities, and two dental health facilities.

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“Each of these ambulances given are expected to cover the catchment areas where we have some PHCs that require the services of the ambulances and where patients also require their attention in the secondary facilities,” Mansir said.

Mansir stated that the development became necessary to address the health challenges and deliver quality services to the people of the state.

Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Medical Services in the ministry, Dr Jonathan Gajere, thanked the Kaduna State Government for the release of funds to purchase the ambulances to improve health services.

Gajere listed the benefitting health facilities to include general hospitals in Giwa, Hunkunyi, Pamegua, Doka and Kauru, Saminaka, Fadan Kagoma, Kachia, Kujama, Kurunku and Sabon Tasha.

He added that one ambulance would be kept in the ministry for responses to emergencies and another one in the infectious disease centre.

Those who spoke on behalf of the benefitting facilities applauded the provision of the ambulances, assuring of proper maintenance and judicious use.

The Star