29th March, 2019
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Survivors of the collapsed building incident which occurred on the 13th of March 2019 at Ita-Faji area of Lagos Island are stable and responding to medical treatment, Lagos State Government has said.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who visited the survivors at the General Hospital on Lagos Island, said “I’m delighted to note that the survivors of the unfortunate incident are calm, stable and responding to medical treatment and in no time, some of them who are certified and cleared will be discharged to join their families”
He restated the instructions of the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode that medical care would be at no charge to the affected families.
Idris said “as directed by the governor, medical care for the surviving victims of this unfortunate incident is free. Lagos state is offering comprehensive health care to the victims at no cost. This is the least we can do at this time to ameliorate the suffering and trauma being experienced by the affected families”.
On the allegation that some of the patients were being requested to pay for medical treatments, Idris refuted this, noting that investigations had revealed that these were false claims, probably cooked up by unscrupulous individuals for the sake of sensationalism.
“The allegation that affected people are paying for the comprehensive health care offered to survivors is false and baseless,” he responded.
He, however, warned concerned and affected families to beware of people of doubtful characters posing as health workers who might want to take advantage of their vulnerability and anxiety at this period.
The commissioner further reiterated the utmost commitment of the State Government in ensuring a zero fatality of those who were rescued alive.
He assured that the State government would leave nothing to chance in giving quality health care to Lagosians regardless of age, religious, gender or ethnic affiliations.
‘We are committed to the provision of affordable, quality and unfettered access to health care delivery in the State”, Idris said.