BY PROVIDENCE OBUH
Following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with 4,000 hospitals under the aegis of Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) and 16 insurance companies, the management of Eagle Search Services of Nigeria said it has commenced the registration and data collation exercise for the “Accident Insurance Scheme” in Lagos, while Abuja (FCT), Kano, Ekiti, Plateau, Rivers and Osun State will commence in April.

In his address at the AGPMPN National Executive Council Meeting in Lagos, Managing Director, Eagle Search Services of Nigeria, Mr. Olu Ajanaku stated that 15,000 workers will be deployed to the markets in Lagos State for the exercise.

Ajanaku explained that Eagle Search and Rescue Services Nigeria is an indigenous outfit incorporated to carry out business of general data and statistic services such as monitoring, searching, rescue, ambulance and medicare assistance to accident victim.

He said this could be achieved by making available adequate and prompt medi-cares at all designated government and private hospitals to the reach of the masses almost at every location of accident scene across the country.

He further explained that the firm would carry out business of information, welfare and notice alerts to all Nigerians nationwide, especially during an emergencies, adding that while carrying out these services, the firm would assist and give prompt rescue as well as payment of hospital cum medical bills and other associated benefits from the partnering insurance companies.

He pointed out that part of their assignment is to link victims up with their relations through a general data base and multiple purpose identification cards to be issued to the subscribers of the scheme at a very meager amount that is not in excess of N1000, saying “Our business of sponsored information alert services include; general life and accident insurance scheme to all informal sector of the Nigeria economy.”

Ajanaku stressed that Eagle Search is not out to take over the duties and functions of other government agencies with similar function, but rather to join in sensitizing, safeguarding, and more importantly, the evacuation of accident victims and provision of succour in form of free health treatment and prompt payment of insurance claims to victims with permanent disabilities or those who die in the process.

“What this means is that rather than acting as rivals to government agencies, such as the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), the police, the fire services and others, as well as private initiatives like the Red Cross/Crescent, involved in search and rescue operations, Eagle Search will complement the efforts of these organisations,” he pointed.

However, he said that to ensure quick and prompt service delivery, ICT would come to play, especially the use of SMS, insisting that the focus on informal sector was because their investigations have showed that majority of those that lose their lives during road accidents are mainly from this sector.

In the same vein, National President, AGPMPN, Dr. Anthony Omolola said a major cause of death among victims of the various disasters in the country has always been the inability of those saddled with the responsibility of rescuing them to reach the scenes on time.

Omolola noted that it is rare for a non governmental organisation to come up with such brave idea, stating that the association is happy to partner with Eagle Search on a project to save the lives of Nigerians.

The initiative is to ensure that Nigerians who subscribe to the scheme are entitled to quick and immediate treatment during emergency cases, and incase of morbidity or mortality the victims are entitled to some monetary benefits.

According to the firm, the vision is borne out of the seeming neglect of the informal sector by successive governments to provide succour in form of benefits and claims, particularly during accidents, such as road, workplace, school, domestic and others.