The Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) has recorded a groundbreaking 97.5% emergency response rate between 2021 and 2025, responding to 44,152 of the 45,277 emergency calls received, with zero in-transit deaths recorded in 2022 and 2025.
EpeInsights reports that the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, revealed this during a performance review of the service’s operations.
Ogunyemi described the figures as a major milestone in pre-hospital care in Lagos, crediting the feat to LASAMBUS‘ dedicated personnel, improved triage systems and rapid medical response.
“Every life saved is a result of teamwork, professionalism, and the resilience of our emergency responders. LASAMBUS is silently changing the narrative of emergency care in Lagos,” Dr. Ogunyemi stated.
According to the report, 36,919 patients were treated during the review period, with over 11,000 handled in 2023 alone. Notably, LASAMBUS achieved a 100% survival rate for patients transported in 2025 up from 60% in 2021.
However, alongside its successes, LASAMBUS continues to battle serious operational challenges. These include the vandalism of ambulances, impersonation of personnel, assaults on staff and traffic-related obstructions during emergency missions.
“Ambulances are not to be raced with or blocked in traffic,” Dr. Ogunyemi emphasized.
“Every second matters. When you delay an ambulance, you might be costing someone their life.”
She urged Lagosians to cooperate with emergency personnel and report suspicious individuals impersonating LASAMBUS operatives, noting that official services are only accessible through the 767 or 112 emergency lines.
To strengthen operations, Dr. Ogunyemi disclosed that the state is currently reviewing a proposal to transform LASAMBUS from a department into a full-fledged agency allowing for more autonomy, better coordination and faster decision-making.
From its humble beginnings in 2001 with four station wagons and 21 staff, LASAMBUS has evolved into a 196-personnel-strong network. Today, it operates with 36 Mobile ICUs, three Mobile Clinics, and five Transport Ambulances, spread across four main bases and 26 ambulance points.
All staff are certified in Basic Life Support and First Aid, with 75% trained in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, ensuring rapid, expert care during emergencies.
The government has also renovated bases at LASUTH, Ikorodu, Badagry, and Eti-Osa MCC, and upgraded key ambulance points at Third Mainland Bridge, Mile 12, and Anthony with support from the Saving One Million Lives Programme.
“LASAMBUS workers are the unsung heroes of Lagos. They brave risks daily to save lives. We must protect and support them,” Dr. Ogunyemi urged.
As Lagos looks to the future, LASAMBUS stands as a testament to how strategic investment, training, and public cooperation can transform emergency response and save lives—one call at a time.
