‘FG committed to reducing mortality on Nigerian roads’

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has said that the Federal Government was committed to reducing mortality and morbidity from road crashes in Nigeria.

A statement from the ministry yesterday said the minister made this known when the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of United Nations on Road Safety, Mr. Jean Todt, paid him a visit in Abuja.

Prof. Adewole said that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health would continue to partner with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant stakeholders towards realization of the goals of the UN decade of Action on road safety in Nigeria.

He pointed out that some of the activities of the ministry were in line with the fifth pillar of the UN Decade of action which include establishing and develop a formal training for paramedics in accredited institution in Nigeria.

The minister said that there was a fully equipped level one Trauma Centre at the National Hospital where victims with complex injuries from Road Traffic Crashes(RTC) were treated, adding that there were also an established National auto crash integrated data system (NACRIS),which harmonizes database of RTC in the country.

Prof. Adewole further said that there was a development of National Policies on Emergency Medical and National Ambulance Services in the country. He further explained that the ministry has started the implementation of free treatment of victims of RTC within the first 24 hours of incident.

In his remark, the Hon. Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said that the ministry has a consolidated Emergency Medical Service on various highway corridors. He noted that a pilot of the scheme was undertaken on the Abuja/ Kaduna Highway corridor during the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in April this year.