The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, has directed a full investigation of allegations of maltreatment and neglect meted out to an accident victim at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja in Federal Capital Territory.

A circulating online video showed a man who said he acted as a good Samaritan to assist in ferrying an accident victim to FMC Abuja for emergency treatment but was left unattended to for hours by the hospital staff.

In the viral video, the man was heard exchanging words with the nurses on duty who said they cannot evacuate the wounded patient from the vehicle due to lack hand gloves and other needed equipment. 

However, the management of FMC Abuja in a statement on Sunday said that it has carried out preliminary findings on what happened.

It also said that the Minister of State has directed a full investigation of the incident which is ongoing. 

The statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Obadiah Gana,

on behalf of the Medical Director, of FMC Abuja said the hospital’s emergency department had adequate supply of medical consumables, including latex gloves, contrary to the claims made in the video.

The statement titled: “Preliminary Response by the Management of FMC Abuja on the Online Video at our Emergency Unit” also said that resuscitation equipment and medications were sufficient and that, “no shortage of patient transfer equipment, including trolleys and wheelchairs”.

The hospital management said: “We have been made aware of an online video that negatively depicts our hospital. In response, we have initiated a thorough investigation to uncover the facts surrounding this incident. Our preliminary findings indicate the following:

“The emergency department had an adequate supply of medical consumables, including latex gloves, contrary to the claims made in the video.

“Resuscitation equipment and medications were sufficient. There was no shortage of patient transfer equipment, including trolleys and wheelchairs.

“Interaction with staff on duty & other stakeholders is currently ongoing”.

It added that, “The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, has directed a full investigation of the incident which is ongoing. Findings of the investigation will be made available to the public.”

The management said it is committed to providing a full report of our investigation once it is completed. 

“The Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, prides itself on its open-door policy. We have multiple patient feedback channels available, including several phone numbers displayed throughout the hospital, QR codes, and email contacts.

“In addition to running a medical indigent fund to assist underprivileged patients with hospital bills, we have successfully treated numerous unconscious patients and safely returned them to their relatives with the help of our social workers.

“Our facility is a hub for specialized procedures such as open-heart surgery, laser surgery, kidney transplants, spine surgery, and other high-end treatments that are not commonly available in most public hospitals.

“We apologize for any distress or discomfort caused and want to assure you that we take feedback seriously. 

“We value the trust placed in us and are committed to providing quality care with empathy and compassion. We appreciate the feedback and will work towards improving the quality of our services,” it said.