FCTA warns residents to stop using ambulances for corpses as it is unsafe and unethical.
Officials plan to provide hearses and new ambulances to improve emergency response across the FCT.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has criticized the increasing habit of using ambulances to move corpses around Abuja, saying the practice is wrong and should stop.
The Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, spoke after the fifth meeting of the FCT Executive Committee which was chaired by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. She said the administration has strict rules against placing bodies in vehicles meant for medical emergencies.
According to her, using ambulances to carry corpses is unsafe because the same stretcher will later be used for patients. She stated that the FCTA plans to buy hearses to ensure bodies are transported the proper way. “In the FCT, we have zero tolerance for an ambulance to carry a corpse. It is not ethical,” she said.
Fasawe also announced the ratification of a contract for the purchase of 12 new fully equipped ambulances. The vehicles, Toyota Hiace Hiroof models, have advanced medical equipment and are ready to be commissioned for public use. She noted that this is the first time in almost nine years that the FCTA is adding such a number of modern ambulances to its fleet.
She explained that the ambulances would improve response time to emergencies, especially now that roads have been upgraded in many areas. Residents who need emergency help are advised to call the 112 hotline.
During the meeting, the FCT Executive Council reviewed more than 22 memoranda. Fourteen were for new projects and eight involved contract approvals that had already been executed.
Acting Executive Secretary of the FCDA, Richard Yunana Dauda, said one of the contracts covers the construction of a new access road to the old Federal Secretariat in Durumi, a location that has long suffered from traffic difficulties due to having only one road link.
He also said the council approved contracts to support farmers with fertilizers and other supplies to improve food production across the territory.
In addition, over ₦9.5 billion was approved for the purchase of alum, chlorine and diesel for the Lower Usuma Dam to ensure steady access to clean water.
The council further sanctioned the supply of instructional materials and practical equipment worth ₦394.8 million for 88 senior secondary schools to help students prepare better for WAEC and NECO examinations.
