The Federal Government has directed immediate reforms in emergency healthcare services at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja, following public outrage triggered by a viral video showing delayed medical attention to a critically injured accident victim.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa undertook an unannounced visit to the hospital on Sunday after receiving the report of a high-level investigative panel constituted to probe the incident. The video, which circulated widely on social media, had drawn sharp criticism from the public over alleged negligence by the hospital’s emergency unit.
During the visit, Alausa inspected the emergency department, interacted with frontline staff and reviewed the facility’s emergency preparedness in terms of staffing, equipment, infrastructure and patient management systems.
“You are in the eye of the storm. You are responsible for saving lives. Even if you’ve done one million things right, one mistake is what the public will remember,” he told the emergency care team, urging them to deliver timely and consistent services.
To strengthen emergency response, the minister directed FMC management to immediately increase the number of casualty officers per shift from two to at least four and to expedite the integration of newly recruited health assistants into clinical operations.
While acknowledging recent improvements in power and water supply, he noted the persistent infrastructural challenges and called for urgent upgrades to critical areas within the emergency unit.
On security, hospital authorities confirmed ongoing collaboration with private security firms and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to better manage access and patient flow. Dr. Alausa emphasised the value of surveillance systems, citing previous cases where CCTV footage proved essential during reviews.
He also announced a federal plan to introduce a nationwide emergency care training programme aimed at standardising response protocols across public health facilities.
“Everyone is watching now. Use this opportunity to show Nigerians what capable, compassionate emergency care truly looks like,” he said.
Responding to the minister’s inquiries, the facility’s head of emergency, Dr. Timothy Sama’ila admitted that inadequate space, overwhelming patient volume and staff shortages remained major constraints.
The minister’s intervention signals renewed federal resolve to prioritise emergency healthcare and restore public trust in Nigeria’s medical institutions.
