By Jonathan Ugbal: Government House Correspondent
Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade will today commission into use, 54 tricycle ambulances procured by the State to improve health delivery.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director General of the State’s Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Betta Edu on Tuesday which said the commissioning is part of the itinerary for a two day visit of the Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shaiub.
Cross River State is said to have over 50 hard to reach areas, and Edu said the ambulances will, “help transport thousands from hinter lands across the State to health facilities for better care.”
Edu who said health stakeholders from across the country will accompany Shaiub, noted that this was, “in line with the national focus of revitalising primary healthcare across the States in Nigeria as a veritable tool to achieving universal health coverage.”
Also, Shaiub is expected to meet with the Governor and, “will inspect some primary healthcare facilities in Calabar to see the Ayade magic and learn good practice from Cross River State which remains a leading example in Nigeria,” the statement read.
The ambulances, CrossRiverWatch gathered, were manufactured by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, a wholly Nigerian owned and operated auto manufacturing company.