ABUJA – (Federal Ministry of Health Report) – The Nigerian government has received the last batch of ambulances donated by the government of Japan. The Japanese government in June 2017 donated 31 Ambulances to Nigeria with a promise to deliver 12 more to make a total of 43 ambulances and the remaining 12 were delivered recently.
The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, while receiving the vehicles on behalf of Federal Government in Abuja said that the donation was aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery systems in Nigeria. Adewole appreciated the Japanese Government for keeping to her promise to provide the remaining 12 Ambulances as was said last year. He acknowledged and commended the Japanese government for supporting the training of the nurses and drivers that would man the vehicles.
“The provision of these ambulances to our Tertiary Health Institutions across the country will ensure that emergency cases requiring ambulance services are taken care of promptly,” Adewole said.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, Abdullahi Abdulaziz Mashi said that the donation of the ambulances would contribute immensely to the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the National Emergency Response Programme.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Japanese Ambassador in Nigeria Yutaka Kikuta said that the ambulances were meant to be distributed to Tertiary Health Institutions in Nigeria. In stating that Japan is a country which keeps her words, he inferred that the occasiin was to mark the delivery of the remaining 12 ambulances in fulfilment of the promise made a year ago.
According to him, the project is particularly unique because ambulances mostly serve those in very critical conditions when the availability of an ambulance and rapid response could mean the difference between life and death.
The Japanese Ambassador explained that health is one of the main focuses of the government of Japan in its Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Nigeria. He later espoused that the Government of Japan through its community-based Grant Assistance is providing primary healthcare facilities and potable water to the rural communities.
