The Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) has significantly expanded its emergency response capacity, achieving a 97.5% success rate in responding to distress calls between 2021 and 2025.
According to Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, LASAMBUS responded to 44,152 out of 45,277 emergency calls in the past four years, an achievement that reflect the dedication and coordination of the state’s emergency health personnel.
The agency also managed to treat 36,919 patients within the same period, with no recorded in-transit deaths in 2022 and 2025. The survival rate of patients transported in 2025 stood at 100%, up from 60% in 2021, pointing to better triage, swift intervention, and improved medical training.
However, despite the success, LASAMBUS continues to face several roadblocks. Ogunyemi raised alarm over attacks on personnel, vandalism of ambulance assets, impersonation of staff, and lack of public cooperation, especially in high-traffic situations.
“These acts are not just criminal, they cost lives,” she said. “We urge Lagosians to give ambulances right of way and avoid obstructing rescue operations.”
To protect its integrity, she warned residents to use only the official emergency lines , 767 and 112 and remain vigilant against impostors claiming to be LASAMBUS workers.
Since its inception in 2001 as a modest unit with four station wagons and 21 staff, LASAMBUS has grown into a network of 36 Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs), three mobile clinics, and five transport ambulances spread across 30 locations in Lagos.
It now boasts a workforce of 196 trained personnel, including nurses, ambulance pilots, and Community Health Extension Workers, most of whom are certified in both basic and advanced life support procedures, she said.
To further strengthen the service, the state government is considering upgrading LASAMBUS from a department to a full agency and as part of its ongoing development, LASAMBUS has also benefited from renovations at key public hospitals including LASUTH, General Hospital Lagos, Ikorodu, and Badagry.
Still, officials say that public support and collaboration remain crucial if the service is to continue operating at full strength.
“Emergency response is everyone’s responsibility,” Ogunyemi stressed. “The system only works if the public supports it.”