News: FG To Recruit Paramedics

The Federal Government will soon recruit paramedics into the civil service apparently to forestall preventable and avoidable deaths like those that happened during the recent exercise by Nigeria Immigration Service.

Speaking in Benin City at the training of over 150 health- care personnel in paramedics at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Director, Hospital Service and Head, Trauma and Emergency Response/Distress Management, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Joseph Amedu said government was committed to qualitative healthcare and safety of lives especially in emergency cases, just as he tasked Nigerians and Non Government Organization to key into the transformation agenda of the present administration by putting measures in place to provide things like ambulance services, which he said, was not a sole responsibility of government to help its effort in addressing the health challenges in the country.

The training was organised by Fountain of Living Waters, a medical mission from the United States, led by Dr. Celeste Nieves.
And Edo State government has formally re-awarded the 5- Star Central Hospital Complex along Sapele Road in Benin to Messrs S & A Construction Company with a completion time of nine months. Parts of the structure collapsed two years ago after it was hit by a construction crane which led to the death of an expatriate worker.

Oshiomhiole announced this to reporters during his inspection of projects in the state capital and said the contractors are expected to mobilise to site and start construction within the next 14 days.

He added, "just last Wednesday, government decided to direct the new construction company handling the project work to go back to site and resume work.

"Again, even before now, the work has been redesigned before it was re-awarded because we know that the project when completed will be another signature of this administration and we are doing everything possible to encourage the new contractor to meet up with the new dead line.

"I think from the assurance given by the contractor, hopefully by next week they will start work and in the next nine months to 1 year from now, the job will be completed.

"Not only will the complex be competed, but it will be equipped with the state of the art hospital facilities because government has concluded plans with foreign expatriates that will supply the sophisticated equipment needed so that patients here will have no reasons to go abroad for treatment anymore."

Source: Guardian