The federal government says it has expanded emergency medical systems nationwide through the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS).

The government also called for improved access to the 112 emergency number.

The national programme manager, Emuren Doubra, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja, in response to an article reviewing Nigeria’s emergency care landscape.

The journal, titled “Progress in Emergency Medicine in Nigeria: Where We Are in 2025,” was published by the African Journal of Emergency Medicine.

It noted that significant strides had been made in Nigerian emergency medicine but highlighted the need for greater synergy between out-of-hospital and in-hospital systems and stronger training programmes across all cadres.

The statement noted that the commencement of residency training in Emergency Medicine (EM) in Nigeria was a key development that would produce the EM specialists needed to advance the specialty and improve care integration.

“Some moderate success has been achieved in pre-hospital and emergency nurse training, however, more work is needed to support these cadres and to build a strong national emergency system in Nigeria,” the statement said.

NEMSAS coordinates Emergency Medical Services (EMS) nationwide and provides free emergency care for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

Mr Doubra said the journal provided “a good introduction to what NEMSAS represents within the EMS ecosystem.”

The journal had noted that Nigeria’s emergency care system had been “historically fragmented and poorly organised,” with multiple emergency numbers and limited ambulance availability.

It also stated that functional pre-hospital EMS existed only “in a few states” and described ambulance fleets as inadequate, with “poor maintenance and poor funding.”

Responding, Mr Doubra said the article “failed to add that NEMSAS had supported all states in setting up EMS structures to manage ambulance services and provide free emergency care.”

He added that the structures operated through public and private facilities, “as well as federal tertiary facilities,” ensuring that poor Nigerians received lifesaving care.

Mr Doubra said Nigeria now had 33 states and the FCT with EMS systems, adding that “21 states are presently operational, while others are on the verge of commencing operations.

“Every state has an emergency medical treatment gateway under the BHCPF,” he said, noting that some states had not begun drawing support in spite of having NEMSAS-set structures.

Addressing the multiple emergency numbers highlighted in the journal, Mr Doubra explained that this resulted from limitations in the original line.

“There are multiple emergency communication numbers because the original number is not optimal when people are vulnerable and need to act quickly,” he said.

He added that there is “low awareness of the number across Nigeria,” confirming concerns raised in the journal.

Mr Doubra urged the Nigerian Communications Commission to improve awareness and ensure functionality of the 112 emergency number across all networks.

He warned that access varied across operators, saying “one network may be more functional than the others, which is a problem during emergencies.”

He also called for a Good Samaritan Law, noting that “good Samaritans have had ugly experiences at the hands of law enforcement officers.”

Mr Doubra said 11,200 women with obstetric emergencies and 1,680 newborns were transported and successfully managed at National Health Insurance Authority-empanelled facilities.

He emphasised the need for improved collaboration among emergency response agencies, especially regarding the functionality of the 112 line.

Mr Doubra urged the public to support emergency medical services “with optimism rather than negative reports and pessimism.” 

(NAN)