A consultant cardiologist, Ramon Moronkola, has urged the federal government to strengthen the nation’s health emergency response system to promote access to timely and quality healthcare services.

Mr Moronkola, who works with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), gave the advice in an interview on Monday in Lagos.

He spoke during commemoration of the World Health Day, marked annually on April 7.

Mr Moronkola said the health system’s emergency response needed restructured to handle critical health emergencies and save more lives adequately.

He explained that emergency response entails the first responder, the ability to transport the patient and the network of appropriate referrals.

“An emergency response system is key in quality healthcare delivery because when an individual has an emergency, the first person that comes to attend to this individual has a big role to play in determining his or her survival.

“This means that the first responder starts the chain of survival of this patient and that’s where emergency response system comes in. Also, when this patient is being carried to a definitive hospital, the appropriateness of the transfer is very important in determining the survival and the appropriateness in referral in terms of where will the patient be taken to is also important.

“So, these are key areas that need to put together by the government for the country to have effective health emergency response system,” he said.

Mr Moronkola said the centre had been assigned the task of coordinating the health emergency response system to ensure its effective operation.

He said there was also a need for proper training of the cadre of staff who manage the centre and for equipping them with functional ambulances and other appropriate equipment needed for the service.

The cardiologist, therefore, urged the government to restructure the health system, stressing the need to develop a system that would constantly be audited and adjusted to the appropriateness of the populace’s health needs.

(NAN)