The Lagos State  Emergency Medical Services has made significant improvement in the response time to patients, notes TAYO OGUNBIYI

It was a chilly Sunday afternoon in the Mushin area of Lagos State where 19-year-old Kolade Ikepo played football with his friends. The rush of fierce wind was a signal that the heavens would soon give way to rain. Aiming to score a late goal, Kolade jumped high with glee and kicked the ball hard, sending it into the net. 

While screams of “It’s a goal” rent the air, he landed on his thigh, fracturing his kneecap. He winced in pain. Thankfully, one of his friends quickly dialed the emergency number for the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS)-State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).

In a few minutes, the wail of a siren pierced through the street, despite the rush hour traffic. In no time, the ambulance arrived. Sleek, well-equipped, and manned by trained paramedics, it arrived like a lifeline.

 In a well-coordinated and professional manner, Kolade was stabilized, oxygen administered, and his vitals checked. Within ten minutes, they were on their way to a government hospital, already alerted to receive him.

This is the new reality, a bold and compassionate initiative made possible by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration in Lagos State. It is a testimony to the government’s commitment to saving lives through its revitalized Emergency Ambulance Service.

Gone are the days when help was “on the way” but never quite arrived. Today, thanks to structured reforms, digital dispatch systems, and human-centered training, Lagosians like Kolade are witnessing a different kind of public health compassion in a state where time is life, and the government responds swiftly to distress calls.

Such testimonies of LASAMBUS’s swift and life-saving rescue operations abound across the State.  Not quite long ago, a stranded pregnant woman who fell into labour around the Law School Bus Stop, Victoria Island, Lagos, was delivered of a baby by a team of LASAMBUS officials.

The woman, 27-year-old Shukarat Isa, who resides at 30 Akin Akinsheyinwa Street, Awoyaya, Lagos, and the baby, a male weighing 3.3kg, were taken to the Ikate health center for further care and management.

LASAMBUS officials received a distressed call of a pregnant woman in labour at 8.02 am and promptly dispatched its closest response team to the venue of the incident. The team arrived at the scene at 8:16 am and quickly set parameters for the emergency response, helping the woman to deliver both the baby and the placenta.

The team cleaned up both baby and mother whilst observing basic medical emergency procedures on the spot before conveying them to the Ikate health centre for further management.

This is a typical case of an obstetric emergency that may arise at any time during pregnancy, labour, and birth. The government, realizing the pivotal role of prompt emergency response, including transport of pregnant women during critical obstetric emergencies in preventing maternal and child deaths, has continued to expand its ambulance services to offer prompt emergency service to residents.

It is pleasant to note that the government’s efforts and investments in overhauling the State’s Ambulance Service are yielding the desired results. News such as this is cheering and heartwarming as it helps improve the State’s health indices and showcases the government’s resolve to provide efficient and equitable service delivery to Lagosians.

Having a well-equipped and functional Ambulance service is pivotal to delivering quality healthcare services around the world. In Lagos State, the success stories of ambulance services can not be overemphasised. With the establishment of the Lagos State  Emergency Medical Services (LASEMS) and the  LASAMBUS in  March 2001, the duo provides services on a 24/7 basis and has led to significant improvement in the response time and quality of care of patients, with attendant improvement in morbidity and mortality rates occasioned by medical emergencies.

The services they provide include: awareness campaign on the preventive aspect of medical emergencies (including home/road traffic/industrial accidents, and how to access services), training of personnel in pre-hospital and hospital-based management of trauma and medical emergencies, and effective radio communication as well as the establishment of an efficient radio-communication network linking the public, among others

In the past six years, the emergency ambulance service has received a significant boost under the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration. It is worth noting that from 2021-2025, LASAMBUS has achieved an impressive 97.5% response rate to emergency calls, responding to 44,152 out of 45,277 calls received within the period.

In 2023 alone, 36,919 patients were treated during the period, with 11,200 of them, reflecting LASAMBUS’s consistent responsiveness even during peak demand. LASAMBUS recorded zero in-transit deaths in 2022 and 2025 due to robust triage systems, prompt stabilization, and the professionalism of its paramedics.

In 2025, a remarkable 100% survival rate of patients was achieved, compared to 60% in 2021, a reflection of improved pre-hospital care in Lagos State. This reflects the government’s dedication to providing swift and professional emergency medical response across the State.

Over the years, LASAMBUS has grown from a modest unit with 21 staff and four station wagons in 2001 to a robust emergency system with over 36 Mobile ICUs, three Mobile Clinics, and five Transport Ambulances. Currently, LASAMBUS operates from four major bases and 26 ambulance points across Lagos, a network designed to ensure proximity and speed in emergency response.

Similarly, it now has 196 personnel, including 64 Nurses, 74 Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), 70 trained ambulance pilots, and support staff, creating a multidisciplinary emergency response team. It is vital to emphasize that all LASAMBUS staff are certified in Basic Life Support and First Aid, with 75% certified in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, ensuring readiness to manage critical emergencies.

To sustain the momentum, renovations have been embarked upon at ambulance bases in LASUTH, Lagos, Ikorodu, and Badagry, alongside the upgrading of ambulance points in Lekki and the construction of a new base at Eti-Osa MCC.

The government has also commissioned ten new pre-fabricated ambulance points located at Agege, Agbowa, Masha (Surulere), Badagry, Mile 2, Epe, Shomolu, Igando, Iba, and Ibeju-Lekki areas of the State. This is designed to improve pre-hospital care and emergency response times across communities as well as ensure broader and faster emergency medical coverage.

Locating the ambulances closer to the people is aimed at significantly cutting down on the time it takes to get medical help in critical situations.

The ten new points are part of a larger blueprint to upgrade and establish more strategically located points on the roads, ambulance bases in hospitals, forward-operating posts in local government areas, and trauma centres across Lagos.

Without a doubt, Lagos is changing the narrative in medical emergency management in the country.  Its personnel can be described as unsung heroes who risk their lives to save others.

The best that the residents can do is to support and protect them. Lagosians are to be wary of fraudulent individuals posing as LASAMBUS officials. They are advised to only dial 767 or 112 for authentic emergency ambulance services.

 Every well-meaning resident of the State must condemn the rising incidents of ambulance vandalism and attacks on emergency personnel. Such acts are criminal and dangerous to patients, requiring urgent medical intervention.

Together, we can raise the bar in medical emergency management in Lagos State.

Ogunbiyi is Director, Features, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

 

The post LAGOS’ EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICES appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

​