6TH FCTA KNOWLEDGE CAFÉ OFFERS SOLUTIONS FOR TIMELY EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN SECONDARY HEALTH FACILITIES
By: Winnie Tanu
It is globally acknowledged that every responsive government creates channels for direct feedback from its citizens, fostering a society where both leaders and the governed work in harmony toward shared goals.
This principle is demonstrated by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) under the leadership of the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, through one of its departments, the Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department (RC&SID). The administration has institutionalized the monthly FCTA Knowledge Café as a platform for dialogue, accountability, and service delivery improvement.
The 6th edition of the Knowledge Café was held on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at the ICT Lab of the Hospital Management Board (HMB) Complex, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, with the theme: “Timely Response to Emergency Cases at FCT Secondary Health facilities”
The event convened key stakeholders, facility managers, emergency response heads, and frontline health professionals to critically examine the challenges surrounding emergency care in the FCT and to co-create practical, context-specific solutions.
In her welcome address, the Acting Director of RC&SID, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu explained that the Knowledge Café was designed as an interactive platform to identify service delivery gaps, especially those reported by residents, and to generate collaborative, actionable solutions.
Dr. Ahmadu shared a sobering account of a patient who lost his life due to delays caused by non-functional backup power at a health facility. Despite the availability of oxygen and the presence of medical staff, a generator operator’s refusal to start the generator insisting “it was not yet time” ultimately led to a preventable death.
“Emergency response is not just about equipment, it’s about mindset, processes, and the culture of urgency,” she emphasized.
“Every hospital staff member, from security guards to consultants, is a vital link in the chain of survival.”
She stressed that the unfortunate incident was not an isolated one but symptomatic of deeper systemic issues, including delayed responses, poor coordination, infrastructure gaps, and negligence that demand urgent and collective reform.
Dr. Ahmadu also highlighted the growing role of communication and social media in exposing service gaps, encouraging stakeholders to view such platforms not as threats but as tools for reflection, advocacy, and institutional reform.
In his opening remarks, the Director General of the Hospital Management Board, Dr. Olugbenga Bello, echoed this vision, calling for a focus on sustainable solutions. He underscored the importance of ambulance availability and proper utilization as essential components of an effective emergency response system.
The Director of Clinical and Diagnostic Services, Dr. Osayande Osagie, added that: “Each hospital has its peculiar challenges, but the underlying issue across the board is manpower. If we can address that, 80% of the problem will be solved.”
Meanwhile, health workers at the forum raised concerns about patients and their relatives using mobile phones to film and harass medical personnel during emergencies.
Responding to this, keynote speaker Mr. Maxwell Gabari advised that many health professionals tolerate such behavior because they are unaware of their legal rights.
He emphasized that staff members have the right to withhold consent to being recorded and encouraged them to assert their boundaries as a form of professional protection.
A major highlight of the knowledge café was the adoption of key recommendations, including: Strict enforcement of existing health policies; expansion of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to boost capacity; Implementation of the Good Samaritan law; basic emergency care training for all levels of hospital staff and development of a Digital Framework for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the FCT.
Other adopted recommendations include enhanced public awareness campaigns on emergency care protocols, Strategic infrastructure investments, Improved data collection and health system digitization, and Comprehensive strategies to address manpower shortages across facilities.
