Criticisms have trailed the display of a nonchalant attitude towards accident victims by health workers at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, in the Federal Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has directed a full investigation of the incident.

Already, the hospital management has initiated an investigation to uncover the facts surrounding the incident, adding that interaction with staff on duty and other stakeholders is currently ongoing.

In a viral video on social media over the weekend, some nurses in the Emergency Unit of the hospital were seen commanding the good Samaritan who brought the accident victims to bring in the young man who was in a very critical condition into the emergency ward, claiming that the hospital did not have hand gloves.

The health workers on duty repeatedly told the good Samaritan who brought the accident victims to bring out the patient from the car, claiming that there were no hand gloves in the hospital.

The good Samaritan, in response, told the health workers that it was their duty to carry the victim into the ward, explaining that he saw the accident victims on the road and decided to render help by bringing them to the hospital.

He said, *”You people should bring him out, it is your duty to bring him out. I don’t know any of them; I saw them on the road and decided to bring them to the hospital. That is all I can do. It is an emergency.”*

The man complained that he had been at the emergency unit for over 15 minutes without any effort by the workers on duty to bring out the patient from the car or attend to others.

Despite repeatedly warning the nurses that they were being recorded, the nurses remained nonchalant, insisting that he bring out the patient by himself.

“So, if I bring a patient to the hospital, I have to be the one to bring in the patient and do necessary things for them? Look at the patient, the guy is nearly dying. I have been here for more than 15 minutes. If you don’t have manpower, tell the Hon Minister that you need more staff. I have done my best by seeing them on the road and bringing them to the hospital.”

The nurses in the viral video were seen walking up and down aimlessly and insisting that the man who brought the patients bring out the one in the car who was in critical condition. It took a while before a wheelchair was brought, and two men in mufti wheeled the patient inside the ward.

However, in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Obadiah Gana, on behalf of the Medical Director, the hospital observed that preliminary findings indicated that the Emergency Department had an adequate supply of medical consumables, including latex gloves, contrary to the claims made in the video.

Gana noted that resuscitation equipment and medications were sufficient, adding that there was no shortage of patient transfer equipment, including trolleys and wheelchairs.

He 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. The Hon. 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 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 specialised 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 apologise 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.

Meta Users React:

The incident attracted widespread criticism on social media.

Meta user Onabsnjo Adegbayi said, “Look at how sluggish they are while an accident victim is in a critical condition in the car. No hand gloves? Hmmm!

Another Meta user, Baba Olowo, said, “Is it true that there are no hand gloves available in a federal hospital? Or were they not included in the hospital’s budget? It has not yet been established whether the health workers in the hospital were being truthful. The concern is that someone’s life was at risk. Furthermore, the manner in which the health workers addressed the man was highly unprofessional. There is already deep-rooted decay in the health sector, largely because those in positions of authority prefer to seek medical treatment abroad.”

Also, Adeosun Joseph said, “Can you imagine… God have mercy. The man should thank God he didn’t carry only one victim. They would have told him to go and get a police report. Before he gets that, the man would have probably died in his car, and he go explain tire.”

Ajide Adeyemi Olamilekan said, “See her attitude. Very nonchalant. It’s a pity. People don’t value life. Because the nurse or doctor is not mentally stable. They are facing depression and mental health issues, but are just forcing themselves to go to work every day. Most healthcare workers are doing it to get better opportunities abroad, even though some don’t have the money to do so. Some medical practitioners in Nigeria are going through hell personally, so what do we expect from such persons? It’s a pity.”