The Federal Government has ordered immediate reforms at the Federal Medical Centre in Abuja after a viral video showed accident victims allegedly left unattended at the hospital’s emergency unit.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, gave the order on Sunday during a surprise visit to the hospital.
Salako said the government would also launch a nationwide training programme for emergency care services to improve how public hospitals respond to emergencies.
“You are in the eye of the storm, responsible for saving lives. Even if you’ve done one million things right, one mistake is what the public will remember,” Salako told the medical staff.
The minister’s visit followed an investigation into the viral video, which caused outrage on social media. The video accused the hospital of negligence in handling accident victims.
During his inspection, Salako met with frontline medical staff and checked the hospital’s facilities and readiness for emergencies. He directed the hospital to increase the number of casualty officers on duty from two to at least four per shift. He also called for urgent improvements in the emergency unit’s infrastructure.
“These improvements must be ongoing and focused on patient needs,” he said.
The minister was told by hospital officials that security around the emergency area is being handled by private firms and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Head of the Emergency Unit, Dr Timothy Sama’ila, admitted that the hospital faces challenges such as limited space, staff shortage and a high number of patients.
Salako said the government is determined to improve emergency care services across the country so that Nigerians can get quality treatment when needed.
