How Road Crash Victims Were Left Unattended at Abuja Hospital

The Federal Government has launched a probe into the alleged neglect of road crash victims at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja, following public outrage over a viral video that captured the incident.

The video, which made rounds on social media over the weekend, showed victims of a road accident reportedly left without immediate medical attention after being brought in by a good Samaritan. One of the victims appeared severely injured, while others, visibly in pain, were seen making their way into the emergency unit unaided.

The man who brought them in claimed he found the injured individuals on the road and rushed them to the hospital. However, upon arrival, he alleged that hospital staff refused to assist, with one citing a lack of gloves as the reason for inaction.

Eventually, the video captured some hospital workers lifting one of the victims into the emergency unit—though only after a noticeable delay.

In response to the backlash, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Obadiah Gana, issued a statement on Sunday confirming that a full-scale investigation is underway. Preliminary checks, according to him, revealed that the hospital had adequate supplies of gloves, resuscitation tools, and trolleys at the time of the incident.

“The Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has directed a comprehensive investigation into the matter. The findings will be made public,” the statement read.

The hospital further stressed that it operates a medical indigent fund to assist vulnerable patients, and maintains multiple feedback channels to report issues, including displayed hotlines, QR codes, and email support.

While reaffirming its commitment to quality healthcare, the management apologised for any distress caused and pledged to strengthen service delivery and staff responsiveness.

The incident has reignited debates over emergency healthcare standards in Nigeria, especially in government-run facilities, where issues of negligence and poor service are frequently reported.