The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has condemned the recording and subsequent broadcast of a passenger who collapsed while trying to board an Air Peace flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, urging the public to assist rather than violate the privacy of distressed persons within its facilities.
In a statement “Re: Passengers lament lack of emergency services at Abuja Airport as man collapses”, the FAAN’s general manager, corporate affairs, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, stressed that all hands must be on deck in resolving emergencies rather than recording such for broadcast.
“Concerning a video making the rounds on social media, where a passenger about to board an Air Peace flight from Abuja collapsed, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) hereby notifies the general public that the passenger in question received immediate attention, as a FAAN officer, Mr Ajani, immediately revived the unconscious passenger by performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation before the arrival of the medical team shortly after to administer first aid and subsequently evacuated the passenger to the clinic at the Airforce Base.
“FAAN will like to use this opportunity to appreciate feedbacks we are getting to drive and improve our processes. We appeal to stakeholders to always be orderly and proactive in the face of emergencies as, on that day, a health officer on duty was intimidated and hindered from assisting the sick passenger. Interference, threats and agitations only undermine the focus on saving lives and further slows emergency response processes.
“Additionally, we appeal that the privacy of any distressed person(s) in our facilities be always respected by desisting from just merely watching and recording such persons for public broadcast. To succeed in resolving emergencies, we do need more hands-on deck, than on phone,” the statement said.
