Abuja Collapsed Building Victims Applaud Settlement Of Medical Bills

Some victims of the building that recently collapsed at Garki village in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have commended the minister of the territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, for offsetting their medical bills.

The victims expressed gratitude when the acting secretary of FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) Mr Malan Haruna visited them yesterday.

A two-storey building on Lagos Street in Garki village collapsed on Wednesday, killing two persons with 37 others evacuated to different hospitals for treatment.

The minister who visited the scene on Thursday directed the FCT administration to settle all medical bills of victims receiving treatment in different hospitals in the territory.

Responding to the gesture, the victims said they were well taken care of since the minister’s intervention.

Mr Abdullahi Modibbo who is receiving treatment at Asokoro District Hospital said he had not paid money following the minister’s gesture.

He thanked the minister for the support which he described as life-saving, adding that health workers were taking very good care of him.

“I was in my room on the first floor when the building collapsed on Wednesday night. I was trying to help myself when a boulder fell on my leg, causing a fracture.

“I am happy with the prompt response of government agencies who evacuated us and took us to hospital for treatment, and now they have offered to pay all our bills. I am truly grateful,” he said.

The chief nursing officer at the hospital, Mrs Aishatu Tenebe, said eight people were brought to the facility of which seven were treated and discharged.

Mr. Garba Nagoma who is at Cedarcrest Hospital Gwarinpa was elated when he learned that his hospital bills would be settled by the government on the directive of the government, even as his brother had already deposited N500,000 to the hospital as the first bill.

“This is good news knowing that my bill will be paid by the government. I am grateful for the support,” he said.

He said he had visited his friend who resides on the first floor of the building when it collapsed.

“We were having a conversation when one of our friends alerted us that the building was about to collapse. We dashed to escape but we were too late. The building collapsed while we were still on the first floor, and I survived with a fracture,” he said.

The group managing director of the hospital, Dr. Kingsley Ikpe, said Nagoma was the only victim brought to the hospital and assured that the hospital would provide the needed care.

Speaking at the end of the visit, the HHSS boss, Mr. Malan Noel Haruna, said he and his team visited the hospitals on the directive of the minister.

“We have gone round some of the hospitals and we have seen their condition on the instruction of the minister to ensure that they are well taken care of.

“So far, four victims are still receiving treatment in hospitals, 31 have been treated and discharged, while two have died.

“We have directed the victims to write the bills and forwarded them through the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the health secretariat for onward submission to the permanent secretary.

“The quality of services we have seen is excellent as testified by the victims themselves,” he said.