As part of efforts to enhance responsiveness to disasters, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is in the process of procuring ambulances for the regional offices to facilitate their work.
Already the organisation had procured one and was working to get the rest.
This was made known by the Deputy Director General in charge of Technical and Reforms, Mr Seji Saji.
He indicated that as workers who rescued victims of disaster it was necessary to get these vehicles such that they would be well positioned to administer first aid to victims of disaster and also transport to the nearest hospital on time.
The Deputy Director General was speaking at the end of year get together organised by the Upper West Regional office of NADMO.
The programme brought together staff from the 11 municipal and district assemblies in the region to review activities undertaken in the year and also brainstorm on the future going forward.
Mr Saji announced that the regional offices would be equipped with computers, with the regional officers given a Toyota pickup each, whereas the district offices would be supplied with motorcycles which had already been procured by the organisation.
“All these measures form part of government’s efforts to retool and equip the organisation to be better placed to prevent disasters, respond promptly to disasters should they occur and also support victims in the process,” he stated, indicating that the end of year meetings was also a part of the reforms to ensure effective stock taking and strategising for the years ahead.
Mr Saji urged the staff to renew their work ethics and ensure professionalism in the discharge of their duties bearing in mind that they were employed to respond to emergency situations which demanded swift response.
For his part the Regional Minister, Hafiz Bin Salih hinted of plans to constitute and commission a Regional Disaster Management Committee in January 2020 to augment the efforts of NADMO and said the launch would be replicated in the assemblies across the region.
“The committees would be responsible for drafting disaster risk reduction strategies, identify disaster prone situations and areas and devise ways of mitigating them and if they do happen, support NADMO to respond to the situation,” he explained.
The Minister who announced that this year the region had not experienced any serious disaster, urged the staff of NADMO to be proactive by becoming anti-bushfire ambassadors and educating people in their own small ways on the menace of bush burning.
The Regional Manager for NADMO, Mr Mustapha Ahmed used the occasion to commend the staff for their hard work throughout the year and encouraged their collaborators such as the military, police, fire and prison services who were also present to continue to support the operations of NADMO.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
