Ekiti Offers Free Ambulances for All Medical Emergencies

When a medical emergency strikes in Ekiti State, Nigeria, help is just a phone call away, but many residents still don't know it.

The state government is pushing hard to spread the word about its free Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System, which has been quietly saving lives across the region. Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Commissioner for Health and Human Services, says too many preventable deaths still happen because people don't realize the service exists.

"We have put in place a system to offer on-site treatment, pre-hospital care and rapid transport for illnesses and injuries requiring urgent medical attention," Filani explained at a recent healthcare stakeholders meeting in Ado Ekiti. The service covers everything from heart attacks and car accidents to women in labor and domestic emergencies.

But there's a problem that goes beyond awareness. Many Ekiti residents think ambulances only transport dead bodies, not living patients who need help.

Dr. Olumide Obe, the state coordinator for emergency services, is working to change that misconception. "Ambulances are for rescue," he stressed. "Vehicles that carry corpses are known as hearses, not ambulances."

The system has grown remarkably sophisticated for a Nigerian state. A central command center in Ado Ekiti coordinates a network that reaches as far as Omuo Ekiti, miles away. When demand spikes, the state activates a "surge fleet" that includes ambulances from general hospitals and primary healthcare centers across Ekiti.

Each ambulance carries modern medical equipment including oxygen, suction machines, airways and resuscitation tools. The teams can treat and release patients on-site when hospitalization isn't needed, or rush them to the nearest government hospital when it is.

The state is even planning a Rural Emergency Maternal Transport System that will deploy tricycle ambulances to remote areas where regular vehicles can't reach. This innovation could be a gamechanger for pregnant women in the hinterland who currently face dangerous delays getting to medical facilities.

The Ripple Effect

Ekiti's investment in emergency services is part of a broader healthcare transformation. Over the past three years, the state has renovated 103 primary healthcare centers, equipped them with 24-hour electricity and clean water, and recruited 150 new healthcare workers. Nine general hospitals have been renovated and fully equipped, and an 80-bed hospital is under construction at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.

This isn't just about ambulances. It's about building a healthcare system where every resident, whether in the city or a remote village, knows that help will come when they need it most.

Residents can reach emergency services by calling 112, 0800 060 6606, or several other hotlines that connect them directly to rescue teams ready to respond.

As word spreads and old myths fade, Ekiti's free ambulance service stands ready to turn medical emergencies into survival stories.