FG Mandates Hospitals to Treat Gunshot Victims Immediately
The federal government has directed public and private hospitals countrywide to offer immediate medical care to gunshot victims, regardless of whether they have police clearance.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare issued this decree, which was announced on Saturday through the ministry’s official X handle.
Patricia Deworitshe, the Director of Information, signed the statement, which expressed rising worry about hospitals rejecting gunshot victims, resulting in unnecessary fatalities.
The mandate comes from Professor Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
It stressed that hospitals are legally bound by the ‘Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017’ to provide emergency treatment to gunshot victims without demanding a police report.
In recent years, society has seen an increase in the number of people killed as a result of some health facilities’ failure to treat gunshot victims who do not have police reports, according to the statement.
It also underlined that crises such as gunshot injuries require immediate medical attention to save lives, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The ministry reprimanded non-compliance by some healthcare facilities and security agents, emphasizing that every citizen, including security officers, is legally required to aid gunshot victims and transport them to the nearest hospital for treatment.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has become aware of most medical facilities’ sluggish or noncompliance in providing compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots, among other issues.
“The Act goes on to provide that every hospital in Nigeria, public or private, must accept or receive patients for urgent and proper care, with or without police approval.
“Every person including security agents shall render every possible assistance to any person with gunshot wounds and ensure that the person is taken to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment,” according to the statement.
Professor Muhammad Pate urged healthcare providers to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Gunshot Act, emphasizing that hospitals must prioritize the prompt treatment of gunshot victims to prevent unnecessary deaths.
He also assured that the ministry would introduce measures to ensure full compliance with the Act.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare called on the Nigerian Police Force to support this initiative by enforcing the law and assuring hospitals that providing treatment to gunshot victims is legal and encouraged under Nigerian law.
With this renewed directive, the government aims to strengthen emergency medical care for victims of violence, reduce avoidable deaths, and foster compliance with the Gunshot Act 2017 across the country.
