-------- COUNSEL TELLS COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY
He recommended that whoever is found culpable should be made to pay "reasonable compensation to he loss of lives and properties in the incident."
The Commissioner's recommendation was part of his testimony and answers to cross examination by the Counsel to Reigners Bible Church, Barr. Ini Ekpo.
Dr. Ukpong also recommended that a law be enacted to make it mandatory for all hospitals in the State to treat and stabilize accident victims before demanding payment.
He said such law was necessary to save lives of accident victims.
The Commissioner explained that the law will forbid any hospital from turning down people in life threatening situations or refusing to attend to them, except money is deposited.
According to him, in a situation which patients escapes without paying the hospital bills, the State Government should be responsible for such medical bills.
Dr. Ukpong also stressed the need for the State House of Assembly to enact a law for an insurance scheme to cater for the health needs of the citizenry without hospitals demanding money.
While cross examining the Commissioner, Barr. Clifford Thomas, a Human Rights Lawyer and Counsel to the Dead and the Injured in the Church Building Collapse, applied to the Commission of Inquiry to issue witness summons to the proprietor of private medical facilities where casualties were taken to.
He explained that the testimony of the Doctors will help the panel to ascertain what he called "true number of casualties" which the Health Commissioner put at 28.
In the meantime, Counsel to Reigners Bible Church, Barr. Ini Ekpo has described the General Overseer of the Church, Apostle Akan Weeks as one of the victims of the tragic incident.
He said his client should be included in the compensation package as he suffered both physical injuries and psychological trauma.
cc; Ifreke Nseowo
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