By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger state has inaugurated 18-man multidisciplinary medical team towards providing enhanced treatment to victims of the tanker explosion in Dikko junction that claimed 86 people at the weekend.
55 people were reported to have been injured with various degrees of burnt and rushed to Suleja and New Wuse general hospitals.
The Chief Press Secretary to ( CPS) to the Governor, Bologi Ibrahim in a statement in Minna on Sunday explained that the team, from the state Ministry of health is led by the Commissioner of Secondary and Tertiary Health assisted by the Special Adviser on Health and that of Special Duties to the farmer Governor.
He said that the team has immediately swung into action to provide urgent medical relief to the victims receiving treatment at the General Hospitals Suleja and Sabon-Wuse.
He said, “At the time of their visit, a total of 43 patients, all males, were said to be admitted on Saturday, January 18th, 2025 at the General Hospital, Suleja. Out of which, 7 patients lost their lives, 3 were satisfactorily discharged to recuperate at home, while 10 patients were referred for specialist care in Abuja and the remaining 23 are receiving treatment with varying degrees of burns”.
According to him, “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, and only one patient was in critical state and is to be moved to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, Abuja”.
He explained that following the team’s assessment of current conditions of patients, the team directed that a significant number of them be referred to tertiary healthcare facilities in Abuja for intensive care.
It was learnt that the team has also handed over medical supplies and commodities donated by the Niger State Government to the two hospitals.
Governor Bago had earlier directed that free medical services and sufficient health workers be deployed to the hospitals where the injured victims of the Saturday tanker explosion are being managed.
