Determination of Optimal Routes for Emergency Medical Services in Abuja Municipal Area Council Using Network Analysis

Response time is the most critical performance indicator for emergency medical services, and spatial network analysis provides the analytical foundation for optimising ambulance routes and dispatch strategies. This study determines optimal routing scenarios for emergency medical service vehicles operating from the National Hospital Abuja and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital across the Abuja Municipal Area Council. Road network data are sourced from the Federal Capital Territory Administration's GIS unit and updated through GPS surveys. Network attributes including road classification, speed limits, turn restrictions, and one-way designations are incorporated into a routable network dataset in ArcGIS Network Analyst. Shortest path and minimum travel time routes are computed for a representative sample of emergency call locations distributed across all district councils. Results indicate that the current spatial distribution of ambulance depots leaves over thirty percent of AMAC's area with estimated response times exceeding the international standard of eight minutes. Alternative depot locations are modelled using the location-allocation algorithm, yielding a deployment configuration that reduces average response time by twenty-two percent. The study provides evidence-based inputs for the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department to restructure ambulance deployment. Keywords: network analysis, emergency medical services, optimal routing, Abuja, GIS.