The Federal Government has ordered immediate reforms in emergency care services of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja.
Dr Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare gave the order when he made an unannounced visit to the facility on Sunday.
Salako also disclosed government’ plan to launch a cross-country emergency care training program to standardise and enhance response capacities in public hospitals nationwide.
The directive followed a public outcry over a viral video showing delayed attention to accident victims by the emergency unit of the hospital.
The minister received the report of an investigative panel into the incident.
The panel was set up to probe the incident after the widely circulated video had sparked outrage over alleged negligence by the hospital’s emergency unit.
During the visit, Salako inspected the emergency department, engaged with frontline medical staff members, and questioned the facility’s preparedness to handle emergencies, including its workforce, infrastructure, and coordination.
“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,” he said.
He told the emergency team to deliver consistent, prompt care to the public. As part of immediate corrective measures Dr. Salako directed the hospital management to double the number of casualty officers per shift from two to at least four.
According to him, this is to ensure the integration of newly recruited health assistants into clinical operations. He also highlighted infrastructure challenges and called for urgent upgrades within the emergency unit in spite of the recent improvements in electricity and water supply.
The Minister emphasised that improvements must be continuous and patient-centred.
On security, the hospital reported working with private guards and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to manage access to the emergency area. He stressed the importance of surveillance systems, referencing past cases where CCTV footage proved vital for investigations.
Responding to the Minister’s inquiries, Head of the Emergency Unit, Dr Timothy Sama’ila acknowledged constraints such as inadequate space, high patient volume, and worker shortages.
The minister’s visit, prompted by public concern, signals a renewed government commitment to ensuring that timely, quality emergency care is accessible to all Nigerians.
