FCTA reads riot act to hospitals rejecting accident victims

By Stanley Onyekwere

To ensure effective healthcare emergency services, the  FCT Administration has read riot act to public hospitals rejecting accident victims within Abuja, the nation’s capital city.

To this end, the FCTA vowed to sanction any erring hospitals, even as it noted that staff, who display any negligence to accident victims will be punished according to Civil Service Rules.

Making this disclosure, the Acting Secretary, FCTA Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Muhammed Kawu noted that the move, was against the backdrop of viral video on the social media, purporting that an accident victim was rejected by Maitama District hospital, which the FCTA had commenced a comprehensive investigation to ascertain its veracity.

Kawu said the investigation over the video was to ensure that no staff jeopardises the efforts of the administration towards umbellished health services delivery.

Recall a short video produced in hausa language, that went viral on the social media two days ago, suggesting that an accident victim was brought to the emergency unit of the hospital, but was rejected.

According to the Secretary, who was in the hospital to see the accident victim in question, identified as George Imohimi, and a resident of Mpape who hails from Edo state, who is currently on admission in the hospital, and recuperating.

He reiterated that any staff found to have exhibited any form of negligence over the matter will be sanctioned in accordance with civil service rules.

He added that all public hospitals in the territory are bound to accept and treat accident victims before any other protocols.

“ FCTA is very concerned and the Minister has directed that I come here personally and observe the situation and also ensure that it is brought under control. Investigation is ongoing,  we have seen the video  and we are investigating further.

“The Administration wants to assure all Nigerians, particularly FCT residents is  that all public facilities are for the public, every person has the right to go to any of these hospitals, and must be atnded to .

“This has been the policy and will continue to be so. The policy is that you take in accident victims and treat them before you look for police. We will let the public know what the issue is all about after the investigation.

“But now the patient is getting adequate attention. Any public servant that is found to have erred will be dealt according to civil service rules”, Kawu stated.

Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Imuentinyan Igbinovia, said that victim was actually taken into the emergency unit for proper attention, as against the message conveyed by the viral video.

Igbinovia,  however noted that the lady who brought the accident victim had expressed discontent over the delay in admiting the victim, but after explaining the situation to her, the disagreements with the emergency unit staff was resolved.

The CMD further clarified that despite the great influx of patients into the hospital on a daily basis, the hospital management has remained committed to excellent health care services to all residents.

Igbinovia said, “ It was on Monday around 8am about an hour prior then some accident victims were rushed in and staff were seeing them and I joined them. About 30 minutes later another accident victim was rushed in and the staff also went to attend to the second set of victims.

“Unfortunately there was ultercation between those that rushed the victims and the accident emergency staff, I was able to calm down the situation and also spoke to the lady who brought in the accident victim.

“Immediately after that a stretcher was brought and the victim was taken into the emergency unit. After the victim was admitted and stabilised I spoke with the Police Divisional Officer who was also around.

The lady who brought in the victim thought that our responses would have been faster, I explained the situation to her.

“ To the best of our knowledge the matter has been settled.  The  victim is in the ward now receiving treatment and is getting better. To our surprise we saw the social media messages which we have taken in good faith.

“I want to assure the public that Maitama hospital is poised to take care of patients and from what you can see, there is a very large crowd that come here every day”.