The University College Hospital, UCH, has mobilized its resources to meet the urgent healthcare needs of the victims of the explosion that shook part of Ibadan like an earthquake on Tuesday 16 January 2024.
The Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Prof Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo in a rapid response directed that UCH, should be ready for the anticipated influx of victims from the blast.
Almost immediately a proper coordination of doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, clinical and non-clinical staff was in place to meet the emergencies arising therefrom.
Otegbayo also activated a trauma response team that will implement comprehensive measures to ensure that every patient receives prompt and compassionate care.
“Medical staff, including trauma surgeons, emergency room physicians, nurses and other personnel have been working around the clock to stabilize and treat the injured.
“As part of its commitment to transparency, the University College Hospital is continuously communicating with relevant authorities and providing regular updates to the public. The Hospital remains focused on delivering high-quality medical care to those affected by this tragic event.
“It is important to state that all the victims brought into the Hospital are 12, 11 brought in alive while one was brought in dead”, he said.
Otegbayo disclosed that the hospital had a lot of its facilities damaged by the effects of the blast including the Medical Museum, School of Nursing, Molecular Laboratory, Bulk Store, Ogunlesi Hall, Hospital Clinics and amongst others.
On behalf of the management, Staff, Students and our teeming Patients, the Hospital is appealing to well-meaning individuals and corporate organizations to come to her aid to be able to sustain and upscale healthcare delivery at this time and beyond”, he pleaded.
Meanwhile, two deaths were recorded while 77 others suffered varying degrees of injuries in the explosion.
Gov. Seyi Makinde, who paid a visit to the scene of the incident to assess the extent of damage, late Tuesday night said that the explosion was caused by a cache of explosive devices stored by some illegal miners occupying a residential building in the area.
Makinde was also at UCH to see the extent of damage to the facility even as he promised that the medical bills of all victims would be paid by government.
The governor further stated that government would provide temporary accommodation for those whose houses were affected and support them in rebuilding their lives.
He disclosed that preliminary investigations by security agencies revealed that illegal miners occupying one of the houses in Bodija area had stored some explosive devices there which caused the blast.
Makinde stated that investigations were ongoing and that anyone found to have been involved in incident would be brought to book.
While urging residents of the State to remain calm, the governor directed them to call 615 for any emergency they might be experiencing at this time.
He also implored them to stay away from the immediate scene of the incident to allow rescue operations to be carried out without interference.
The governor appreciated the first responders, security personnel and all those who were at the scene to assist with rescue operations as well as the medical personnel taking care of the injured.
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