By Sola Ogundipe, Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale
THE six survivors of Wednesday’s Bristow Helicopter crash are recuperating at St Nicholas Hospital, a private hospital on Lagos Island.

Four of the survivors, all male, were moved, yesterday morning after receiving medical attention at the Gbagada General Hospital’s Trauma and Burns Centre.

A burns specialist at the Gbagada hospital said the four survivors discharged themselves against medical advice after they had been stabilised.

Survivors of the crash

Medical attendants, Gbagada General Hospital moving survivors of the Bristow helicopter crash on a referral to St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos on Thursday.

Two other survivors of the crash had earlier been taken to St. Nicholas Hospital, after they were stabilised at Folabi Medical Centre, another private hospital in Gbagada.

When Vanguard arrived at Gbagada General Hospital around 8:00 a.m yesterday, security was beefed up. There was heavy activity around the trauma and burns centre and at precisely 10:45am, the Permanent Secretary, Health Service Commission, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Adegoriola Longe arrived the premises.

He approached the burns centre accompanied by the hospital managing director and shortly thereafter, they came back downstairs with two other medical doctors.

After a brief chat, the permanent secretary left, and two buses with the inscription Medical Plus pulled up in front of the centre.

Then the crash survivors were brought out on stretchers and two each were assisted into the buses.

Three of the victims who had bandages on parts of their bodies who still appeared to be in pains were young men while the fourth was middle aged.

It was gathered that one sustained a chest injury during the accident while some others had varying degrees of trauma.

One was seen wearing a hand band with an inscription of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The buses were delayed some minutes before they eventually drove off.

Hospital sources told Vanguard they were taken to their company’s hospital.

Prior to their evaluation the security situation of the hospital was beefed up as two policemen screened people going in and out of the centre.

Medical attendants, Gbagada General Hospital moving survivors of the Bristow helicopter crash on a referral to St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos on Thursday.

One of the doctors who managed two of the victims when they were at  Gbagada General Hospital told our reporter that the management of  the airline and a medical doctor from the oil company  had requested that the victims be transferred to St. Nicholas hospital on Wednesday night.

Discharge of survivors

“We initially refused to grant them the referral to a private hospital because we had been instructed not to as it is now a state matter. But after we stabilised them, the patients insisted and asked to be discharged to the private hospital.”

Confirming the discharge of the other two survivors, the Medical Director, Folabi Medical Centre, Dr. Olajide Afolabi, said the two left on Tuesday night.

His words: “The two patients that were brought here were discharged yesterday, and transferred to their company hospital at Victoria Island where they have an existing relationship.

Undisclosed hospital

Folabi Medical Centre where the patients were taken to

“But immediately they brought them in,  we gave them First Aid treatment. Later around 11pm yesterday (Wednesday) night, their hospital staff came and transferred them to an undisclosed hospital.”

Folabi pointed out that although both men were in stable condition when they were brought in, one of them sustained a fracture that was treated.

“We gave them pain reliever. One was okay and was talking to us, but the second one, Solomon, had a fracture in the leg but was later stabilised. What I can ascertain is that both of them had already survived it and I wish them quick recovery.”

Vanguard got in touch with St. Nicholas Hospital where a source confirmed that the six victims of the helicopter crash are receiving treatment at the hospital.

The hospital management confirmed the victims are being monitored should any complication arise from the injuries they sustained from the crash.

The source said: “They brought them here this morning (Thursday) and they are doing fine. The only reason why they are still on admission is because we need to observe them for some days to ensure that they did not sustain any internal injury.

“We also need to manage them holistically and psychologically. If they go home now, they won’t be able to get the rest they deserve.”

The official who refused to disclose the identity of the victims, also said: “The media can’t talk to them until we have the patient’s consent. They need to rest.”