In an effort to enhance emergency medical care in the nation’s capital, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike delivered 12 new ambulances to hospitals throughout the territory on Thursday.
The Abuja transfer ceremony demonstrated the FCT Administration’s dedication to improving healthcare delivery, especially in critical and life-threatening circumstances.
Addressing the crowd, Wike highlighted that the purchase of ambulances is related to the FCTA’s larger expenditures in road infrastructure, education and healthcare, emphasizing that efficient emergency response depends on decent roads.
“A lot of people were asking why we are focusing on road infrastructure,” Wike stated. Why do we prioritize education?
However, people tend to forget that when there are poor roads, these ambulances could break down. The entire purpose of emergency vehicles is rendered meaningless when patients call and the roads are poorly maintained. Thus, we have been able to prioritize things as we talk here.
The minister also mentioned that 14 health centers in the Federal Capital Territory are being furnished and rehabilitated by the administration.
He further revealed that in order to support the health sector, the FCT Head of Civil Service and other authorities had been instructed to hire more staff.
Wike declared, “For us, we will do everything possible to give our people the best.”
The purchase and deployment of the ambulances, according to Dr. Olalodipo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, was a significant step toward enhancing emergency medical services in the region earlier in the event.
She emphasized that the program underscores the administration’s emphasis on emergency preparedness, people-centered governance, and improved resident health outcomes.
Dr Fasawe observed that ongoing road construction in the FCT have considerably improved access to healthcare facilities, particularly in rural communities.
“We have been able to see strategic investment in road infrastructure across the city under the focused leadership of the FCT Minister,” she stated.
“This has directly impacted healthcare. For instance, the development of the A2 to Pai road has reduced the travel time from one and a half hours to thirty minutes in places like Abaji, Kwali, and Gwagwalada.
The Mandate Secretary also emphasized the administration’s initiatives to enhance healthcare workers’ welfare, including as paying unpaid allowances that date back to 2021.
Citing the 13-month hazard allowance, pay award, and medical residency training fund, she stated, “It is heartwarming that this administration has paid allowances that have been due since 2021.”
“FCT is the only state that has paid all of these allowances up to this point, I can say with confidence.”
Dr Fasawe added that the FCTA has initiated other key interventions, such as upgrading the FCT School of Nursing to a full‑fledged College of Nursing, a move she said demonstrates “a deliberate and coordinated effort to deliver accessible, high‑quality and responsible healthcare for the people of the FCT.”
