The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has received praise from some of the building collapse victims in Abuja, for paying their medical bills.
The building collapsed in the heavily populated Garki neighborhood of Abuja.
They expressed gratitude when government officials led by Mr. Malan Haruna, the acting Secretary, of the Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) of the FCT Administration visited them on Saturday.
The two-story building located at Lagos Street, Garki Village collapsed on Wednesday, killing two persons with 37 others evacuated to different hospitals for treatment.
The Minister who visited the scene on Thursday directed the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, to settle all the medical bills of the victims, receiving treatment in different hospitals.
The victims said on Saturday that they were well taken care of since the Minister’s declaration that their medical bills would be paid by the government.
One of the victims, Mr Abdullahi Modibbo, who is receiving treatment at Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, said he has not paid any amount following the Minister’s declaration.
Also, the Chief Nursing Officer at the hospital, Mrs Aishatu Tenebe said that eight victims were brought to the facility of which seven have been treated and discharged.
Another victim at Cedarcrest Hospital Gwarinpa, Mr. Garba Nagoma was elated when he heard that his bills would be settled by the government.
A medical officer at the facility, Dr Winifred Esite, said that 14 victims were brought to the hospital of which 12 were treated and discharged while one died.
Speaking at the end of the visit, the HHSS boss, Mr. Malan Haruna said his team visited the hospitals at the directive of the Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Haruna recalled that Wike had directed the FCTA to settle the medical bills of all those affected.
The Head of Search and Rescue, Mr. Oyegun Moses said that of the two victims who died, one died at the scene of the collapsed building, while the other died at Garki Hospital while receiving treatment.
He assured her that any medical bill incurred during the visits would be taken care of by the government.
