Building collapse: 31 victims discharged

Thirty-one of the thirty-five victims of a two-storey building collapse that occurred at the Lagos Crescent in Garki 2 Area of the FCT, have been discharged, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.

The building collapse, which occurred at about 11pm on Wednesday night, killed two, and left 35 others injured, according to the Director-General of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Abbas Idriss.

The PUNCH had reported that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on a visit to the collapse site, directed the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, to facilitate the prompt payment of the victims’ bills.

The Acting secretary of the Health and Human Services Secretariat, Malam Noel Haruna, on Saturday, led top officials in the administration to the Asokoro District Hospital and four other hospitals, where the victims were receiving treatment.

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During the visit, the Secretary gave assurances that the government will not abandon the victims, stating that the purpose of the visit was to check the compliance with the directive of the Minister.

“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 forward them through the FCT Emergency Management Agency, to the Health Secretariat for onward submission to the Permanent Secretary. The quality of services we have seen is very excellent as testified by the victims themselves,” he said.

At the Asokoro District Hospital, where eight patients were brought in, seven of them hax discharged while the remaining patient, Moddib Abdusalami, who was still taking treatments, thanked God for sparing his life, while expressing grattitude for the gesture of the Minister

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

The government officials thereafter proceeded to CedarCrest, Apo and Garki General Hospitals, where only one patient each, remained.

One of the victims, Charity Amadi, told journalists that herself and her family were in an unbearable condition, having lost all their belongings to the accident, and now took shelter at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Area 2 Shopping Centre, Abuja,.

Amadi, a mother of two and currently pregnant, said that they lost everything in the collapse, while thanking the government for taking care of the Hospital bills.

“I am glad that the government has come to our aid because the hospital asked me to be coming for a check up to ensure that my unborn baby and I are fine,” she said.