The Rural Emergency Service and Maternal Transport (RESMAT) has launched a free emergency transport initiative for pregnant women and newborns in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State as part of efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths.
The initiative, known as SAVEMAMA, was unveiled during a stakeholders’ engagement and community sensitisation programme, with support from the Federal Government.
The programme is designed to tackle one of the major causes of maternal mortality in rural communities, delays in reaching health facilities during obstetric emergencies.
The intervention is integrated with the Federal Government’s National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) and the MAAMI project, which guarantees free emergency medical transport and initial stabilisation care for patients in critical conditions.
National Programme Manager of NEMSAS, Dr Doubra Emuren, described the partnership as a major step toward addressing gaps in emergency maternal healthcare delivery.
“Although health facilities exist in many communities, challenges such as poor transportation, weak referral coordination, and delayed response systems often lead to preventable deaths”.
According to him, timely access to skilled medical care can determine survival during obstetric emergencies, adding that aligning SAVEMAMA with the national emergency ambulance framework will ensure pregnant women receive urgent care when complications arise.
The Medical Officer of Health for Ibeju-Lekki Local Government, Dr Agboola Abidemi Christy, urged expectant mothers to utilise the free service.
She said the initiative aims to ensure that pregnant women and newborns are not prevented from accessing care due to transportation difficulties.
Participants at the sensitisation session were also educated on how to access the service through dedicated short codes and emergency communication channels that trigger rapid response and transport to appropriate health facilities.
Health experts noted that transportation barriers represent one of the globally recognised “three delays” responsible for maternal deaths, stressing that the SAVEMAMA initiative directly addresses the delay in reaching healthcare facilities.
They added that strengthening emergency transport systems is key to improving maternal and newborn survival in rural communities.
RESMAT officials said the rollout in Ibeju-Lekki marks the beginning of plans to expand the initiative to other rural communities across Lagos State and eventually to other parts of the country.