The Nigerian Government has ordered immediate reforms at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, following public outrage over the delayed treatment of accident victims at the hospital’s emergency unit.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, issued the directive during an unannounced inspection of the facility on Sunday.
He also announced plans to introduce a nationwide emergency care training programme to standardise and enhance response capacity across public hospitals.
The visit followed a viral video showing accident victims allegedly left unattended in the emergency ward, triggering widespread anger and accusations of medical negligence online. In response, the government launched an investigation and received a report before the minister’s visit.
During the inspection, Dr Salako interacted with frontline staff, assessed infrastructure, and evaluated the hospital’s readiness to handle emergencies effectively.
“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 reminded the hospital staff.
As an immediate response, the minister directed the management to increase the number of casualty officers per shift from two to a minimum of four. He also instructed that newly recruited health assistants be fully integrated into emergency operations to boost efficiency.
Dr Salako pointed out infrastructure deficiencies within the emergency unit and called for urgent upgrades to complement recent improvements in water and electricity supply. “These improvements must be ongoing and patient-focused,” he added.
On matters of security, hospital officials informed the minister that they were collaborating with private security companies and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to manage access to the emergency area.
He further stressed the importance of enhancing surveillance systems, citing the role of CCTV footage in previous investigations.
Responding to the minister’s concerns, Dr Timothy Sama’ila, Head of the Emergency Unit, acknowledged persistent issues such as limited space, high patient influx, and understaffing.
Dr Salako’s visit reaffirmed the government’s renewed commitment to delivering timely and quality emergency care to all Nigerians.