The Katsina State Government has announced plans to station 15 modern ambulances along major roads across the state to provide rapid response to emergency situations, particularly road accidents.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Abdulkadir Nasir, disclosed this on Monday while taking delivery of the ambulances at the Government House in Katsina.

Nasir said road accidents were often inevitable due to human error and other limitations, noting that many such incidents result in serious injuries requiring immediate medical attention.

According to him, the state government has, within the last two years, constructed and rehabilitated several roads, a development that has significantly increased road usage by travellers.

He noted, however, that increased traffic on improved roads sometimes leads to unavoidable accidents, especially due to reckless driving, overloading and instances where animals or pedestrians cross roads at inappropriate times.

“It is because of this that the government decided to purchase these ambulances and deploy them along major roads so that they can be among the first responders whenever accidents occur,” Nasir said.

The Chief of Staff added that a committee would be constituted to ensure the judicious use of the ambulances and to coordinate their operations with relevant agencies such as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

Our correspondent reports that the plan to deploy ambulances may not be unconnected with a number of recent road accidents involving the state governor, Dr Dikko Radda, and his deputy, Farouk Jobe.

In July last year, shortly after the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Radda was involved in a road accident along the Daura–Katsina Road.

The governor’s vehicle was also involved in another accident in December, with the Chief of Staff and at least two other persons reportedly in the vehicle at the time.

On the same day, the governor’s convoy reportedly came across another accident scene, where he ordered that the victims be rushed to hospital.

Similarly, the deputy governor, Jobe, was involved in an accident while his convoy was travelling along the Kaduna–Katsina Road in December.

The governor was said to have sustained “minor injuries” in the first incident, while at least five persons reportedly lost their lives and 17 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the other cases.