Nation
High Mortality Rate: FG Set To Unveil Nat’l Emergency Medical Service
The Federal Government, yesterday, said it was poised to launch what it called “National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System” to provide prompt and efficient emergency medical service to the people.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, speaking at a media parley on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent and elderly health plus nutrition multi-stakeholder partnership coordination platform, in Abuja, noted that, ”Elimination of delays in access to healthcare can indeed reduce the high mortality rates.”
Ehanire, while noting that, ”It is estimated that an efficient emergency medical treatment service can reduce mortality by nearly 50 per cent by reducing delays in physical and financial access especially at night,” said, ”The Federal Government is poised to launch the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System to provide prompt and efficient emergency medical service to the people.”
According to him, ”It will involve prompt response to medical distress calls of all types with first responders, transfer to facilities, assured first aid at the point of care at no immediate user cost.
“There is need to strengthen engagement with media institutions and improve strategic communication tools, working with various media platforms to drive social and behaviour change communication and influence attitudes towards reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent and elderly health plus nutrition”, he said, adding that, ”The media also plays a role in social cohesion and in reshaping norms, to become the change agent for positive health-seeking behaviour.”
Regretting that, ”Despite its enormous potential, there is, unfortunately, inadequate utilization of media platforms for dissemination of health-related information to the public by the health sector,” Ehanire said, ”Public engagement of the media by the Federal Ministry of Health happens on a case-by-case basis, as there is no blueprint to define the process, resulting in missed opportunities to achieve national goals and targets relating to public enlightenment of individuals, service providers, decision-makers and influencers, with regard to health and wellbeing.”
Ehanire, whose message was contained in his presentation, titled, ”Effective Partnership with Media Sector in Improving Health and Well-being of Women, Children, Adolescent and the Elderly”, said, ”Going forward and building on the success of the reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, Health plus Nutrition Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Coordination Platform, the Ministry of Health began activating the Coordination Platform Annual Operation Plan 2021.
”Sustainable mechanisms have been instituted for improved collaboration with the media in reconstructing societal views on health issues affecting women, children, adolescents and the elderly, such as finalizing revision of the Integrated National Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent and Elderly Health plus Nutrition Social and Behaviour Change Strategy.
“Roll-out of a revised strategy, using existing government, private and traditional media structures of television, radio, print, social, and local media platforms will empower the people with information on household practices to make informed choices and take timely actions to ensure their health and wellbeing.
“Developed the maiden Media Engagement Strategy for Health Promotion, aiming to set out mechanisms, arrangements and prescribe ways to harness available tools for publicity, information sharing and public engagement, in order to empower Nigerians to make informed choices for healthier living.
“Developed the draft Health-in-Media Coalition Charter: an ancillary document of the Media Engagement Strategy for Health Promotion. The charter articulates arrangements that guide partnership between Federal Ministry of Health, media outlets and regulatory agencies ‘to improve health and wellbeing of Nigerians with focus on the vulnerable population.
“It outlines roles and responsibilities of each arm of the coalition; a management and coordination structure, including itemization of steps for grievance resolution and periodic reviews,” he said.
He said, “the current Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated media literacy of adults and young people; meaning that access to understanding and creating communication with both traditional and new media platforms such as text messaging, social networking and mobile phone is commonplace.
“Statistics indicate that in January, 2020, the percentage of users of the various media platforms in Nigeria were as follows: 169.2million (83%) mobile connections users, 85.49million (42%) internet users, and 27.00million (13%) social media users.
“In today’s technology driven world, access to latest news is at the touch of a button on television or radio, even while commuting to the workplace or school. We freely exchange information with friends, relatives, business partners and clients around the world.
“Effective communication through mass media, can therefore be used to heighten awareness of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent and elderly health plus nutrition as topics for public discussion, and to influence legislation and resource allocation for issues like awareness of where to access reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent and elderly health and nutrition health services, to develop appropriate, safe care-seeking behaviour, change cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and promote hygiene and health practices that improve uptake of health services,” he said.
Ehanire said, ”The Ministry of Health will be able to build on the success of the media engagement obtained today to institutionalize traditional and social media platforms to share information and for community participation, and risk communication.
“When finalized, the Health-in-Media Coalition Charter will be presented to chief executives of media institutions for endorsement at the national level as well as adaptation at subnational level.
“I conclude by reminding all that population health management is a collective responsibility, requiring partnership with the media sector to foster effective use of media platforms to increase health literacy and promote safe, care-seeking behaviour on issues surrounding the health and wellbeing of women, children, adolescents and the elderly,” he said.
The event, he explained, was aimed “to set the foundation for effective engagement of the media, towards improving the health and wellbeing of women, children, adolescents and the elderly; especially during this era of the Covid-19 pandemic and in view of concerns over various health conditions, infectious or chronic, that may be preventable and easily treatable.
“In practice, all three tiers of government have responsibilities for health, as if it were on the concurrent legislative list, although it is constitutionally on what is generally called the ‘residual’ list,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, has reiterated the commitment to service delivery for pensioners.
Ejikeme said this during the Customer Service Week in Abuja, yesterday.
He said that commission had a mandate to deliver good service delivery to the pensioners.
Ejikeme, who was represented by the Director Civil Service Pension Department, Mr Kabir Yusuf, said that the customer service week was important to operations of PTAD.
“Customer service is the support that you give to a customer, whether it is an existing customer or potential customer in the process of delivering or making enquires about a service.
“To be a good customer service representative you need to be knowledgeable, have good attitude and attribute especially to the senior citizens and have empathy,” he said.
Ejikeme said that all PTAD staff had most of the attributes of a good customer representative.
“We provide excellent customer service by going to verify our aged pensioners who cannot do it by themselves anywhere across the country.
“There is a dedicated team that was mandated to go round to confirm the aliveness of those who can not confirm their aliveness either because the are too old or have health issues,” the executive secretary said.
The National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, said that the official theme of the 2024 customer service week was “ We Go Above and Beyond For Our Customers.”
She commended PTAD and the SERVICOM team for organising the 2024 customer service week.
“This is in line with the best practice of celebrating frontline workers and service takers.
“Customer service week is celebrated annually during the first full week in October.
It calls attention to the importance of people to boost morale team work and departmental collaboration in supporting pensioners.
“ It is a platform to reward employees for the significant work they do,” Akajemeli said.
She said that the objective of the customer service week was to celebrate the hard work and dedication of employee who strived to create positive customer experiences.
She said that it was time to show customers that the organisation valued their experience and feedback, through comment cards, dedicated hotline, among others.
Akajemeli said that it raised awareness internally and externally about the importance of good customer service in building customer loyalty and satisfaction.
She said that the benefit was to increase motivation, show appreciation, encourage friendly competition, boost employee retention, create a positive workplace and increase productivity.
The Head, Surveillance Department at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr Abdulrahman Saleem, said that good service delivery was the key success of every establishment.
Salem said that PTAD operated with standard, considering the success it had achieved so far.
Saleem said that pensioners required the best service attitude and behavior.
“ I give kudos to PTAD for its efforts and encourage it to do more.
“Therefore I urge PTAD staff to keep up the standard and continue to give good service to the pensioners,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has honoured Flying Officer David Sangokoya for winning the 2023/2024 Royal Air Force College Cranwell International Cadet Sword of Honour.
Abubakar honoured the officer during the presentation of cheques to 13 beneficiaries of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy (GPAIP) in Abuja, yesterday.
He described the achievement as ground-breaking as it was the first time an African cadet had won the prestigious award since the Academy’s creation over 100 years ago.
According to him, the feat underscores the excellence that exists within NAF, and proof that NAF officers and cadets can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.
“To our awardee, you have set a new standard, not just for your peers, but for every cadet and officer that will come after you.
“This accomplishment is a powerful reminder that no goal is out of reach when one is armed with dedication, discipline and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“Your journey as an officer has begun with this prestigious accolade, but the true measure of your success will be seen in how you serve, lead and contribute to the mission of NAF and the defence of our great nation.
“As we celebrate this historic occasion, we extend our deepest gratitude to the United Kingdom Government for its unwavering support in providing world-class training opportunities to our personnel.
“This has enabled our officers and men to gain invaluable skills and knowledge, strengthening not only our bilateral ties but also our collective ability to address global security challenges,” he said.
The CAS said that the NAF looked forward to continuing the fruitful partnership for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and UK countries.
He expressed gratitude and unflinching loyalty to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the welfare and training of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and NAF in particular.
“I must also take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the instructors who helped to mould and prepare this cadet for the global stage.
“Their dedication and commitment to developing top-notch officers is evident in this ground-breaking achievement.
“You have not only trained a leader but have given the Nigerian Air Force a legacy we will all cherish,” he said.
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated private sector involvement to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Director-General of the authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call at a high-level policy dialogue on sustainable health system reforms in Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that the dialogue was organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of private sector stakeholders, to address the multifaceted challenges plaguing the country’s healthcare system.
The dialogue has “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare” as its theme.
Represented by Dr Yakubu Agada-Amade, the NHIA Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, Ohiri explained the crucial role of private sector collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system
He highlighted the “One Plan” under the SWAp framework, which seeks to unify health sector efforts, ensuring efficient resource use, effective governance and expanded healthcare access.
He also stressed the importance of overcoming barriers that historically hindered the implementation of healthcare interventions in Nigeria, such as inadequate financing, weak governance systems, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He added that “the dialogue explored innovative approaches, including digital health innovations and financing mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of the National Health Act and mandatory health insurance coverage.
“With enrollment in health insurance growing by 14 per cent over the past year, NHIA can push for greater inclusivity, particularly targeting the informal sector through flexible payment systems and partnerships with telecommunications companies.”
He called for stronger synergy between public and private health actors to ensure universal access to quality healthcare and sustainable reforms in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Panelists from the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) and Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) echoed the sentiments, underscoring the private sector’s role in expanding insurance coverage and improving healthcare delivery.
They commended NHIA’s efforts toward driving reforms to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).
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