By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.

The Ogun State Government has commissioned an ambulance boat donated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to strengthen emergency response and improve access to healthcare services in riverine and hard-to-reach communities across the state.

The commissioning ceremony, held in Makun-Omi in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, featured remarks by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, who described the intervention as part of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare delivery and ensuring that no community is excluded from timely medical care.

Dr. Coker noted that difficult terrain and transportation challenges had continued to limit access to healthcare in riverine areas, stressing that the ambulance boat would provide swift response during medical emergencies and help reduce avoidable deaths. She added that the project aligns with the administration’s broader healthcare reforms aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes, emergency response systems, and grassroots service delivery.

According to her, the initiative represents a strategic investment that will deepen the impact of the state’s primary healthcare programmes while improving the referral system for patients in isolated communities.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, Hon. Adetoye Odunoiki, represented by Hon. Olabode Ogunlana, commended the state government for what he described as a timely and impactful intervention. He said the commissioning of the ambulance boat marked an important milestone for the local government and reflected the collective commitment of the government and development partners to saving lives and improving residents’ well-being.

Odunoiki added that the donation would significantly enhance the transportation of pregnant women and other residents across riverine and coastal communities, reduce delays in emergency response, and strengthen healthcare delivery in hard-to-reach areas.

Speaking on behalf of the development partners, UNICEF Vaccine Supply and Logistics Consultant, Mrs. Florence Moloku, praised the Abiodun administration for its progress in creating a healthier environment. She reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting quality health services for children and mothers to reduce mortality, while urging the local government and host communities to ensure proper use and maintenance of the ambulance boat, particularly for immunisation services and outreach programmes.

On behalf of the host communities, the Chairman of the Chairmen of Ward Development Councils, Hon. Mrs. Aderonke Adekunmisi, expressed appreciation to the state government for the gesture, noting that the ambulance boat would greatly improve emergency response and healthcare access in the area.

She said the intervention would benefit pregnant women, children, and the elderly, and called on community members to support the effective use and maintenance of the facility for the collective good.