He was speaking, Friday, during his visit to the FRSC National Headquarters Abuja where he addressed the Management.
In a press release made available by Bisi Kazeem, Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, the Minister of state said there is the urgent need for all relevant stakeholders in emergency management institutions to join hands in creating the needed synergy that could provide a world class platform for disaster management in the country. He added that what FRSC has done is an indication of the possibilities that exist if all other stakeholders key into the initiative.
Dr Osagie disclosed that the Ministry of Health is working on strengthening the collaboration with other stakeholders such as Fire Service, Civil Defence and the Nigerian Air Force to achieve a holistic and efficient system of emergency management that could make it unnecessary for victims of emergencies to seek for assistance outside the country.
He commended the FRSC for laying a sound foundation in matters of emergencies through its investment in technology, promising that with the current effort to build a primary health care in all the political wards across the country, the needs of the Corps’ emergency centres and ambulance points across the areas in terms of training and provision of medicaments would be considered. He further noted that a system of revolving fund by which victims of emergencies brought to the hospitals by the FRSC rescue teams would not be denied treatment for lack of money to pay for cards and drugs, but would receive treatment from the hospitals as they would be confident that they would be reimbursed through the system.
The Minister of State, Health, also promised to work towards effective collation of data on emergencies in the country by strengthening the present inter-ministerial committee responsible for the purpose. He spoke on the need for the FRSC to be properly integrated into the National Council on Health and need for state ministries of health to support FRSC in its management of victims of emergencies at the state and Local Government levels.
He advocated for a specialist training for drivers that convey hazardous materials to enable them appreciate the safety implications of the materials they convey and need for extra care to avoid causing harms to others through carelessness, stressing that such drivers should be subjected to regular training and retraining programmes.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi thanked the Minister for the visit, especially for taking time to undergo facility tour to all the infrastructural facilities of the FRSC located at Gwagawalada, Kado and the National Headquarters. He particularly commended the Ministry of Health for the support it has continued to render to the Corps in performance of its statutory duties, especially with the interest shown by the Minister State, Health who has shown renewed commitment to strengthen the existing collaboration between FRSC and the Ministry.
Oyeyemi called on the Minister of State, Health to prevail on the State Ministries of Health through the instrumentality of the National Council on Health to address issues of Hospital Rejection of Crash Victims and how they could support the FRSC’s Road Side Clinics/ Help Areas located in communities across the country where the residents normally come for medical treatment. This he said put great pressure on the medical provisions to such centres, considering the fact that FRSC has to oblige them in the spirit of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
The Corps Marshal further stressed the need to step up partnership with the Nigerian Air Force, which he noted has been of tremendous support to the FRSC especially during the end of year special patrol when it normally provide helicopters to FRSC for aerial surveillance operations, adding that there is an ongoing partnership with the service on prompt evacuation of crash victims requiring air lift to hospital for medical treatment.
Oyeyemi called for an expanded stakeholders’ meeting with the Nigerian Air Force and other stakeholders to strengthen the collaboration and for some identified hospitals to build helipads where air ambulances could land and evacuate the victims to the Hospitals.
The Minister who was accompanied on the visit by some Directors of the Ministry had earlier visited the FRSC Road Traffic Signage Production Centre Gwagawalada, FRSC Print Farm Kado and the Information Technology Centre at the National Headquarters of the FRSC where he expressed satisfaction with the FRSC’s commitment to the ideals of modernisation.
