The Lagos State Government says it will soon use motorbike and water ambulances to help people in hard-to-reach places during emergencies.
The goal is to make sure help arrives faster, especially in areas with heavy traffic, and to improve access to emergency healthcare.
Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, shared this news at a media event about LASAMBUS — the state’s ambulance service.
He said motorbike ambulances would be introduced first, and later, boats equipped for emergencies would follow.
Dr. Ogboye explained that this is part of the state’s bigger plan to make emergency care more available and fix the gaps in the current system.
He added that new ideas are being introduced to tackle issues like traffic delays, unclear locations, crowds blocking the way, and damage to ambulances.
He said the new plans include 10 motorcycle ambulances, a volunteer responder program, and upgraded water ambulances for river communities.
“We’ve already gotten approval for the motorcycles. We should be able to launch the first 10 within a month, and we plan to add more later,” he said.
Looking ahead, the government is also thinking about using air ambulances in the future.
He explained that this wouldn’t mean the government buying helicopters. Instead, they’re exploring ways to use idle time on helicopters already used by oil companies.
“These helicopters are already flying to oil rigs. But they have free time when they aren’t in use. We’re thinking about using that free time for emergency services at a low cost. It won’t happen immediately, but it’s something we’re working on,” he said.
Dr. Ogboye also shared that LASAMBUS has handled 11,867 emergency calls from 2024 to now.
He said, “In 2024, we got 9,213 calls. So far in 2025, we’ve received 2,967. We responded to 8,923 of the 2024 calls and 2,944 of the 2025 calls.”
In 2024, they couldn’t respond to 290 calls for various reasons. In 2025, only 23 calls have not been attended to so far.
In 2024, an average of 28 ambulances were available at any time. In 2025, the average increased to 36 working ambulances.
Dr. Ogboye said only two patients have died on the way to the hospital in this period — one in 2024 and one in 2025 — thanks to the skills of their medical staff.
He said LASAMBUS is a key part of Lagos’ emergency system and has saved many lives by providing quick, professional care.
“Emergency care isn’t just about getting patients to the hospital. It’s about giving treatment on the way to keep them alive,” he said.
He shared how LASAMBUS started with just four old cars in 2001 and now has four bases, 36 ambulances each day, over 190 trained workers, mobile ICU units, and water ambulances.
LASAMBUS Director, Mrs. Beatrice Makinde, said many delays happen because of bad roads and unclear directions from callers.
“Our goal is to arrive within 10 minutes. But sometimes, people give wrong locations, or traffic makes it hard to get there fast. For example, someone may say an accident is at Toll Gate, but it’s actually at another spot nearby. Then we have to go turn around, and that takes time,” she said.
She added that crowds at accident scenes also block the way because people stop to watch, which causes more traffic. Driving the ambulance through the wrong lane is risky and can lead to accidents.
Some people who received help from LASAMBUS shared their stories.
Mr. Adebayo Akinola said LASAMBUS saved his uncle’s life after an accident in Oshodi. “They came quickly and gave excellent care. We didn’t pay anything,” he said.
Omotayo Adeyinka, a school director, said a boy hit by her car went into a coma. A private hospital couldn’t help, but LASAMBUS came, took him to another hospital, and stayed until he was stable. “I offered money, but they refused. It was truly free,” she said.
Another person, Mr. Akintayo Moshood, said he fainted after a fall. LASAMBUS treated him kindly, and to say thank you, he painted their ambulance wall in Agege.
A spare parts seller from Ibadan, Morufu Ademola, said he had a bad accident in Lagos, with his intestines exposed. “I was unconscious for months. I’m alive today because LASAMBUS helped me. And I’m not even from Lagos,” he said.
