Abuja — The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has described lack of good health facilities and the absence of professionals in hospitals as a major disaster in every country the world over.

Director General of the Agency retired Muhammad Audu-Bida said this yesterday in Abuja while celebrating the International Disaster Reduction Day with the theme "Making Hospital Safe from Disaster."

Audu-Bida said risk re-duction "is every body's business, and unsafe hospitals are potentially damaging to everyone."

He said hospitals should not collapse in disaster, killing patients and staff, saying it must continue to function and provide services as a critical community facility when it is most needed and is organised.

"The price we pay for the failure of hospitals or health facilities due to disaster is too high in comparison to the cost of making hospital safe from disaster. Disaster damage to health systems is a human and health tragedy," he said.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr. Babatunde Osutumahe informed that his ministry in collaboration with NEMA is working toward formulation of a National Emergency Ambulance Service and looking at the possibility of treating emergency victims within the first 24 hours at minimal cost to the patient.