Concerned about Nigeria’s persistent challenges in emergency healthcare response, CareOne Digital Hospitals, has launched Port Harcourt’s first-ever free emergency ambulance service, designed to ensure that no patient is denied life-saving help due to cost or delay.

Project Director, Dr. Segun Ebitanmi, said the initiative is to make healthcare more accessible and responsive to Nigerians. “Our goal is to make sure patients get proper medical care quickly, safely, and without worrying about payment first. Every second counts in an emergency.”

He added  that the service, operating operates 24 hours daily under CareOne’s ongoing transformation of Rehoboth Specialist Hospital, is GPS-enabled and completely free.

Ebitanmi explained that the new service addresses one of the biggest gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system – delayed or unaffordable transport during emergencies.

According to him, with a dedicated hotline and trained paramedics on standby, the service is expected to significantly improve survival outcomes, particularly for accident victims, trauma cases, and emergency surgical patients.

“We’re building a system that responds before tragedy strikes,” he said.“This is about giving people a fighting chance.” The new emergency service is supported by a modern digital dispatch centre, equipped with real-time tracking tools including GPS and what3words technology, allowing ambulances to locate patients quickly, even in densely populated or hard-to-reach areas.

Each ambulance is fully equipped and staffed with trained paramedics, ensuring that critical medical support begins the moment the vehicle arrives -not when the patient reaches the hospital.

Ebitanmi disclosed that as part of its one-year transformation agenda, CareOne plans to expand the service to cover additional areas in Rivers State and integrate it with a digital patient management platform for faster triage, follow-up care, and better coordination between field and hospital teams.

“Our long-term goal is clear. We want emergency medical response to be swift, inclusive, and lifesaving  – one community at a time,”  Ebitanmi stated.