By ABUJAH RACHEAL

Health experts and civil society leaders have called for a transparent, independent investigation and urgent reforms at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abuja.

The experts spoke In an interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

They were responding to a viral video allegedly depicting staff negligence at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Federal Medical Centre.

The video showed hospital staff reluctant to attend to an accident victim, citing lack of gloves and inadequate manpower to lift him from a car to a waiting wheelchair.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, has however directed a full investigation into the incident.

The hospital management said that preliminary findings revealed that contrary to the claims in the video, medical consumables such as gloves, patient transfer equipment, and medications were adequately available at the time.

Mr Obadiah Gana, the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, who made the clarification in a statement, said that Salako had directed a full investigation of the incident which is ongoing.

Gana said that findings would be made public.

He said that patient feedback was welcomed through various channels, including QR codes and contact lines posted throughout the facility.

He also highlighted the hospital’s indigent fund initiative and commitment to treating unconscious patients without delay.

“We apologise for any distress or discomfort caused and want to assure you that we take feedback seriously,” he said.

Reacting to the development, health experts have urged authorities to treat the incident, not as an isolated case, but as a reflection of deeper structural and cultural challenges in emergency care delivery in Nigeria.

Dr Chinyere Nwosu, a public health policy analyst, said;” We commend the minister for his swift response. However, it is not enough to rely solely on internal findings.

“An independent, multi-stakeholder panel should be constituted to investigate this transparently.”

Nwosu said that while the hospital had notable achievements, including advanced procedures like heart and kidney surgeries, such negligence undermines public trust and casts a shadow over these successes.

“This is a chance to fix a broken link in our healthcare delivery.

“Emergency care must be swift, compassionate and non-negotiable. No one should die because of hesitation or poor coordination,” she said.

Akin Ogundele, a health rights advocate, said that one act of negligence in an emergency setting can erase years of goodwill.

Ogubdele said that this was not about condemning a hospital, but about ensuring a culture of responsiveness, empathy, and professionalism.

Civil society leaders also called on FMC Abuja and other tertiary hospitals to reinforce staff training on patient-centred emergency response.

According to them, equipment and protocols are ineffective without a responsive human element.

Mohammed Usman, Founder of the Lafiya Wealth Initiative, said that the incident exposed the need for systemic reforms.

Usman said that it is not just about the availability of gloves or trolleys, but the readiness of staff to act in moments that could mean life or death.

He urged the Federal Ministry of Health to introduce standardised national emergency response protocols across all tertiary health institutions.

He also called for stronger feedback and whistleblower protection mechanisms for patients and health workers alike.

Dr Jubril Ismail, Board Chairman of the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), said that the agency plays a crucial role in ensuring that lives were saved in traffic accidents, emergencies and other critical situations.

Ismail said that the nation had made significant strides in emergency response, with strong support in recent months ensuring effective service delivery.

Dr Aisha Lawal, Health Policy Analyst, said that the unfortunate incident in Abuja showed that while NEMSAS exists on paper, it was not yet fully functional where it mattered most, at the point of care.

Lawal said that a system designed to save lives should not fail due to avoidable excuses like lack of gloves or manpower, describing it as a wake-up call for operational accountability.

She said that the fact that accident victims were still dying at hospital gates despite NEMSAS raised serious questions about implementation, oversight and staff responsiveness.

“We need real-time monitoring and enforcement to ensure that policies translate into action, especially during emergencies,” she said.

As Nigerians await the outcome of the ongoing investigation, health stakeholders suggest that the incident should serve as a wake-up call to prioritise patient dignity and ethical responsibility across the country’s healthcare system. (NAN)