The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has resumed the services of Air Ambulance for emergency cases.
According to a statement signed by its Head of Media, Manzo Ezekiel, the air ambulance service resumed operations after successful routine maintenance and completion of all civil aviation requirements.
He said the official inaugural return flight witnessed the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and Director General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Habib Ahmed, being conveyed from Abuja to Dutse, Jigawa State on an official engagement.
Recall that NEMA introduced its first air ambulance flight for emergency healthcare in 2013.
The aircraft was launched at the Trauma Center of the National Hospital, Abuja, it was for quick transportation of patients with emergency cases.
Captain Ibrahim Mamman, who was the Chief Pilot and Head of the NEMA Special Wing of the agency at that time said the project was part of the transformation agenda of the Federal Government of the time.
“The air ambulance can be used to transport patients with critical and traumatic health situations from anywhere, As a matter of fact, the jet can go anywhere in the world; it has the mile range of 3000 miles,” Mamman said.
However, in 2018 operations of the air ambulance service were grounded after it was due to routine maintenance and regulatory requirement.
Following changes in its management, repair of the aircraft was completed last year and returned from France. This year, the present management finalised all regulatory requirements in returning the aircraft to its ambulance operations.
