The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) has donated seven emergency tricycle ambulances to rural health centres in Hong local government, Adamawa state, in order to save the lives of pregnant mothers and sick patients living in hard to reach areas.
In addition, Barr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), donated an ambulance bus to the Pella LCCN Dispensary.
At a brief ceremony at the Hong local government secretariat on Wednesday, an aide to the SGF Dr. Ismaila Nuhu Maksha presented the keys to the Council chairman and in-charge of the hospital, saying the intervention is to alleviate the plight of pregnant mothers and sick people who require urgent medical attention in secondary health facilities.
“The Tricycle ambulances are for the use by rural health facilities to refer patients that are in emergency or critical situation.
“SDG decided to allocate these ambulances to seven districts in Hong local government, is an appropriate technology, easy to maintain and lifesaving,” he added.
Dr. Maksha called on benefiting communities to ensure regular maintenance of the vehicles and protect them from misuse.
Usman Waga’anda Hong local government council chairman Usman Waga’anda Hong expressed joy with the gesture and vowed the local government’s support for the vehicles’ maintenance in his address.
He prayed for more unity and understanding among the inhabitants of the Hong local government region.
In addition, Mallam Adamu Hassan Pella, Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Authority, Hong local government, stated that the distribution has no political undertone because benefiting health institutions were designated as hard to read places.
Dr. Mshelia Andrew Mwajim, Principal Medical Officer, Hong Federal Medical Centre, underlined the importance of earlier referral in his presentation on “Emergency and Referral Ambulance,” and encouraged health professionals to ensure that patients are referred to the next facility as soon as possible.
He added that a referral does not imply that a health worker is unfamiliar with his or her job, but that there is a potential that the health center lacks surgical equipment or other necessary resources to treat a patient.
In addition, the District Head of Pella, Dan Kade Adamawa, and Chairman of the Social Mobilization Committee in the local government, Alhaji Saleh Mamman Daksiri, praised the SGF’s efforts to bring development to the entire state.
Dr. Barka, in-charge of the Pella LCCN Dispensary, spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, promising that the vehicles will be utilized wisely.