Senate promises to tackle “one chance “ menace

Sen. Banigo Ipalibo has said the senate will take steps to tackle the menace of ‘one chance’, a notorious criminal gang operating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other major cities.

Ipalibo, the Chairperson, Senate Committee on Health gave the assurance when she led members of her committee on an ‘on the spot assessment visit’ to Maitama District Hospital in the territory on Thursday in Abuja.

The committee was on the visit to assess the situation that led to the recent tragic passing of one Greatness Olorunfemi as a result of the activities of one chance operators in the area.

The visit, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalled that the visit was sequel to a motion moved by Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC-Cross River) , mandating the senate committee on health to investigate the situation that led to the death of one Olorunfemi.

NAN reports that Olorunfemi until her death was a community developer and member of the Young African Leaders Initiative Network.

She was reportedly forcibly ejected from a moving vehicle along the Maitama-Kubwa highway after being stabbed by criminals who had robbed her.

Bystanders who witnessed the incident promptly rushed her to Maitama District Hospital, but she was allegedly denied treatment for failure to produce a police report which resulted to her death.

The lawmakers were received by Dr Olugbenga Bello, acting Director-General of the Hospitals Management Board, FCT and were showed Closed-Circuit Television footages on series of the events that occurred the day Olorunfemi was rushed to the hospital.

“We have listened to a number of testimonials and insights in the unfortunate incidence that led to the unfortunate death of Greatness Olorunfemi.

“All of us are quite pained at what happened because one life is definitely very important and for a young lady who was still very active in her community services.

“We really condole with the family. Unfortunately no member was able to be here. The father had sent a letter earlier.

“Having gone wards around the hospital, we have seen definitely that there exist some systemic gaps which requires closure”, Ipalibo said.

The lawmaker assured that the Senate would definitely take some actionable steps to close those gaps in the nation’s hospitals.

She, however, expressed appreciation to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike and his team who provided more couches for the hospital.

Ipalibo further urged the management of the Maitama District Hospital to ensure the activation of the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance (NEMSAS), responsible for medical emergency services in the country.

Earlier, the acting Director-General Hospitals Management Board FCT, Dr. Bello, tendered the Board’s apology.

He said: “However, after assessing this patient by three people we don’t really need exotic gadgets to assess whether somebody is alive or not.

“We had checked the pulse, the doctor used the stethoscope to check the heart beat and there was none. These are evidences of absence of life.

“And I think it is at that point that they considered that this was no longer an emergency. She was brought in dead.

“All the same, we apologise for assessing the patient in the car and for taking a while to do that.”