The Federal Government has upgraded Riyom General Hospital in Plateau State to a National Trauma Centre and deployed 15 emergency ambulances to the state as part of efforts to improve emergency medical response and access to life-saving healthcare.
The intervention is being implemented under the Federal Government’s National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), which has provided Plateau with five conventional ambulance buses and 10 tricycle ambulances.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Kachollom Daju, who represented the Coordinating Minister, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the approval of the facility as the National Trauma Centre, Riyom, during its official launch on Monday.
Daju praised the Plateau State Government for transferring Riyom General Hospital to the Federal Government, noting that the trauma centre could not have been established without the approval of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.
She explained that the newly deployed ambulances are dedicated exclusively to emergency medical services and will operate through three pathways designed to ensure faster access to care.
According to her, NEMSAS will work through the Plateau State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Services (PLASEMSAS) to provide free emergency transportation across the state.
The Federal Tertiary Facility Pathway, she added, will provide vulnerable patients with up to 48 hours of free emergency treatment.
The third pathway, known as Rural Emergency Services and Transport for Maternal and Newborns (REST-M), will provide emergency transportation for pregnant women and newborns living in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Plateau Government Welcomes Emergency Healthcare Support
Receiving the ambulances on behalf of Governor Mutfwang, his Deputy, Ngo Josephine Chundung Piyo, described the Federal Government’s intervention as a major investment in saving lives and an important boost to Plateau’s emergency healthcare system.
Mutfwang said the initiative aligns with his administration’s healthcare blueprint, which is aimed at ensuring that no resident of Plateau is denied medical treatment because of distance, cost or lack of transportation.
The governor recalled that Plateau State had previously purchased five ambulance buses to launch PLASEMSAS, while tricycle ambulances were provided to Jos East and Riyom local government areas under the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Innovative Initiative.
He assured the Federal Government that the newly deployed ambulances would be strategically distributed, professionally managed and properly maintained to ensure that the programme remains sustainable.
Mutfwang also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for the intervention, particularly the decision to designate Riyom General Hospital as a National Trauma Centre.
JUTH Promises 24-Hour Emergency Services
The Chief Medical Director of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr. Pokop Bupwatda, said the intervention would enable medical teams to respond more quickly to emergencies and transport patients to facilities capable of providing definitive treatment.
Bupwatda pledged that the facility would operate emergency services around the clock, in line with the Federal Government’s 48-hour free emergency treatment initiative.
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Baamlong, said the state launched its emergency ambulance system in August 2025 after procuring ambulances for strategically located healthcare facilities.
Baamlong disclosed that the state’s Rural Emergency Service and Transport programme had handled more than 2,000 emergency trips within six months. This included 1,115 patients in Jos East and more than 900 in Riyom.
He said the programme recorded only one maternal death in Jos East and none in Riyom during the period.
According to him, Plateau’s maternal mortality ratio also dropped from 905 to approximately 500 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Where the 15 Ambulances Will Operate
Under the NEMSAS deployment, the five conventional ambulances will be stationed at:
- Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)
- National Orthopaedic Hospital, Jos
- Federal Medical Centre, Wase
- Plateau State Specialist Hospital
- National Trauma Centre, Riyom
The 10 tricycle ambulances will focus on last-mile emergency transportation in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
They will complement the conventional ambulances and help address transportation challenges that can delay patients from reaching medical facilities during emergencies.
The upgrade of Riyom General Hospital is expected to strengthen trauma treatment and emergency referrals in Plateau State.
The expanded ambulance network should also improve response times for road accidents, maternal emergencies and other critical medical situations across the state.
