The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Friday visited the accident scene where six medical doctors and their driver died on their way to Sokoto for the annual conference of the Nigeria Medical Association.
The Minister, who lamented the tragic loss, said his visit was aimed at seeing what lessons could be drawn from the sad incident to forestall future occurrence.
Dr. Ehanire stressed the urgent need for Emergency Management Training for road safety ambulance team and techniques on safe driving for all drivers.
Conducting the Minister round the scene, the Federal Road Safety Corps team leader, Assistant Corps Marshall Victor C. Nwokolo, attributed the cause of the accident to a sudden burst of the rear tyre that was manufactured in 2008 and sudden application of break by the panicked driver.
Nwokolo then hinted on some of the precautions that could have saved the victims to include usage of seat belt, non-application of break when there is tyre burst, take 15 minutes break after every four hours drive and don’t drive after taking a heavy meal, amongst others.
At St. Gerald’s Catholic hospital, Kakuri, Kaduna, where the late victims were treated, the Minister commended the hospital staff for caring for the victims.
Ehanire also said the Health Ministry would collaborate with the hospital in accident emergency response and management under the Private Public Partnership arrangement.
The proprietor of the hospital, Most Rev. Mathew Ndagoso who was represented by the hospital’s administrator, Reverend Sister, Beatrice Danladi, narrated that though being a faith-based hospital all medical efforts available at the hospital were deployed to save the lives of the victims when they were admitted, much could not be achieved.
Danladi, however, appealed to government to assist in upgrading the accident and emergency unit of the hospital as this would guarantee better service to accident victims who are often rushed to the hospital from Kano, Zaria, Kafanchan, Sokoto and Gusau.
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