Okogbe Tanker Fire: Two Survivors Discharged

University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), has discharged two out of the nine survivors of the July 12th Okobge tanker fire disaster currently receiving treatment at the UPTH burns unit. The two on the grounds of full recovery, Messrs Chinwuka Agbirigba and Menwe Osisiare, were the first of the victims of the fire disaster to leave the hospital alive.

The first group numbering 40 died within the first two weeks of their admission into the Burns Unit of the hospital. However seven of the survivors yet to leave the hospital, are in very stable condition.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after conducting the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, round the special burns unit to see the survivors and bid goodbye to those that were discharged, the Chairman, Rapid Response Committee, a special committee created by Governor Chibuike Amaechi, Prof Aaron Ojule, attributed the success achieved in saving these lives to commitment and healthy collaboration among members of the response committee.

Prof. Ojule recalled that collaborated efforts as this were employed by the medical officers of the hospital when there was an outbreak of Lassa fever epidemic in the state last year which according to him yielded unprecedented results.

In his reactions, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Parker, described the achievements of saving the nine as remarkable and traced it to the collaborative efforts of the state and federal agencies.

Dr. Parker advocated for strong political will in Nigeria health sector, and expressed faith that the country has good manpower that could deliver if the health facilities are adequately equipped.

In their separate reactions, the father of the two discharged victims Chinwuka and Menwe expressed their profound gratitude to the government for saving the lives of their children, and pledged to champion the campaign against playing with imflammable substances like petrol by people in their community.