The Edo State Government has concluded plans to partner the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on the construction of an Emergency Ambulance Bay at Irrua, in Esan Central Local Government Area, Edo State.
Speaking during a visit to the proposed site for the bay at Irrua, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Mr. Yakubu Gowon, said the state government was ready to provide structures for first responders to do their job without hinderance.
Gowon said the state government was keen on the execution of the project and was ready to provide all the necessary support, noting, “The initiative for the site was borne a month ago and a proposal was sent to NEMA for its execution.
“We are expecting the facility to be built in a few months from now and are optimistic it will take care of emergencies along the Irrua axis of Benin-Auchi Expressway, going by the high vehicular traffic on the corridor.”
Director General (DG), NEMA, represented by the Agency’s Director, Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Akugbe Iyamu, said the facility would help reduce incidence of death recorded from road accidents along the Irrua axis of Benin-Auchi Expressway.
He noted that the facility would have a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) with medical personnel, who will provide care at the shortest time before referral to the hospital, adding, “We got a proposal from the Edo State Government for NEMA to establish a response facility in the state.”
“The agency is passionate about the initiative and have come to inspect the proposed site for us to replicate the MICU models we have in Abuja, here in the state,” he said.
According to the DG, the site for the project was strategic for a response facility considering its proximity to the Irrua Specialist Hospital.
The Chairman, Esan Central Local Government Council, Dr. Edokpa Waziri, commended the state government for the proactive decision, noting, the Ewu axis of the Benin-Auchi Road had recorded series of road crashes that had claimed lives and property.
Waziri said the land for the facility was provided by the council, adding that the council will continue to support the effort of the state government in provision of essential amenities.
