Niger Gov’t takes swift action to quickly treat tanker explosion victims
TUNDE BOLAJI –MINNA.
Niger State Health Team has moved swiftly into action to salvage the lives of some of the victims affected by the recent tanker fire incidents that occurred at Dikko junction in Gurara local government of the state.
This followed the earlier directive of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, who ordered free medical services and sufficient health workers to be deployed to all the facilities where these patients are being managed.
The state government expressed its condolences to the families of Saturday’s petrol tanker explosion the governor described as “sympathetic.”
The Special Adviser on Digital Media and Strategy Abdullberqy Usman Ebbo, on his social media handle X, stated that following Governor Umar Bago’s directive, an 18-man multidisciplinary medical team from the Ministry of Health has swung into action to provide medical treatment for the victims.
Abdulbaqy Ebbo hinted that the team is
led by the Commissioner of Secondary and Tertiary Healthcare, Dr. Tukur Bello, with others including the Special Adviser on Health, Dr Shehu Ahmed, and the Special Adviser on Special Duties, Dr. Murtala Bagana, among others.
He informed that the medical team was immediately on the ground to provide urgent medical relief to the victims of the tanker fire explosion in Dikko who had visited both the Suleja General Hospital and Shehu Musa Yar’adua Hospital, Sabon-Wuse in Tafa local government areas, respectively.
Upon assessment of current conditions and of patients, a significant number of them would require intensive care and therefore directed that they be referred to tertiary healthcare facilities in Abuja.
At the time of this report, a total of 43 patients, all male, were said to be admitted on Saturday, January 18th, 2025, at the General Hospital, Suleja. Out of which, 7 lost their lives, 3 were satisfactorily discharged to recuperate at homes while 10 patients were referred for specialist care in Abuja while the remaining 23 are receiving treatments with various degrees of burnt
Also, at the General Hospital, Sabon-Wuse, 23 patients were initially admitted; 3 died within the first 6 -8 hours of admission, 19 patient relatives signed a consent form to be discharged against medical advice while one patient was in a critical state to be referred to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, Abuja.
According to Ebbo, the team from the Ministry of Health also used the opportunity to hand over medical supplies and commodities donated by the Niger State government to the two hospitals respectively.