Nigeria’s National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) has recorded a sharp increase in emergency patient transport, rising from fewer than 3,000 patients to over 11,000 in the third quarter of 2025.
Dr Emuren Doubra, National Programme Manager of NEMSAS, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
The surge reflects faster mobilisation, wider uptake, and strengthened collaboration among healthcare providers across the country, he noted.
Doubra further disclosed that NEMSAS now operates in 30 states, allowing residents to access free emergency medical care by dialling 112, with the federal government covering the first 48 hours of treatment through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
26 Federal Tertiary Health Facilities are now part of the network, providing referral pathways, skilled medical teams, essential equipment, and timely interventions for severe emergencies. Rapid Emergency Service Management and Triage units operate in 166 of 172 local government areas, although insecurity limits activation in some northern communities.
“The National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System has expanded operations to 30 States of the Federation, allowing residents in those states to access free emergency medical care by dialing 112,” the NAN report read in part.
It added, “He reported significant progress between quarters, highlighting a twenty-five per cent increase in onboarded states and a substantial three hundred four per cent rise in emergency medical beneficiaries served overall.
“He said transported patients increased from fewer than three thousand to over eleven thousand, showing greater uptake, faster mobilisation, and strengthened collaboration among participating providers across multiple levels.”
He also noted that maternal and neonatal care have seen notable improvements. Over 5,000 obstetric emergencies were transported, with 86% delivered to facilities capable of surgery, transfusion, neonatal resuscitation, and monitoring. Despite this, six maternal deaths and 82 neonatal deaths occurred, reflecting ongoing challenges in stabilising complicated cases before transfer.
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Financially, NEMSAS disbursed over N487 million in Q3, with N332.6 million going to tertiary hospitals and N154.3 million to participating states, including Yobe, Rivers, Ebonyi, Gombe, Ogun, Bayelsa, Osun, Bauchi, and Anambra.
- Innovations such as SAVEMAMA, using short code 3581, allow pregnant women to request emergency transport via free voice calls, USSD, or text messages.
- The platform verifies requests, alerts trained drivers, coordinates facilities, tracks journeys, confirms safe arrival, and triggers automatic payments to ensure reliable participation.
- Partnerships with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have resulted in 63 “Zebra” ambulances deployed across 23 states, with plans to expand further. A dedicated media cell also promotes public awareness, builds trust, and encourages early calls for emergency services.
Furthermore, NEMSAS plans to complete onboarding of remaining states, fully launch SAVEMAMA, operationalise all Rapid Emergency Service Management units, and develop digital enterprise systems to create a fully responsive national emergency medical system capable of saving more lives.
