Attend To Gunshot Victims Without Police Clearance – FG Orders Public And Private Hospitals

The federal government has mandated that all public and private healthcare facilities in the country give emergency medical care to gunshot victims, regardless of whether they have a police clearance.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced this directive via a statement on Saturday, December 7.

The statement, titled Non-Compliance of Medical Facilities with the Gunshot Act 2017, was signed by the Director of Information, Patricia Deworitshe, and highlighted multiple complaints about hospitals rejecting gunshot victims, resulting in preventable fatalities.

The directive was issued by Professor Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

“In recent times, society has witnessed a rise in the loss of lives as a result of refusal of some health facilities to attend to gunshot victims of chance who do not present police reports,” the statement said.

The ministry highlighted that gunshot injuries are emergencies that require immediate medical attention to preserve lives.

“It has come to the knowledge of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, of the slow or non-compliance by most medical facilities to provide for the compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots, and related matters.

“The Act further goes further to stipulate that; every hospital in Nigeria, whether private or public, shall accept or receive for immediate and adequate treatment with or without police clearance.

“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,” the statement added.

The ministry voiced alarm over the rising number of shooting occurrences and some hospitals’ unwillingness to treat victims without police records, calling it a violation of the shooting Act 2017.

Professor Pate advised all healthcare providers to follow national law by promptly treating gunshot victims to avoid further loss of life. He also informed medical professionals that treating gunshot victims was not prohibited.

“The Coordinating Minister of Health And Social Welfare Minister, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, therefore calls on all medical practitioners to comply with this national law by providing prompt treatment and care for these victims to prevent death,” the statement read.

Furthermore, the ministry urged Nigerian police to swiftly implement the Act’s provisions and to reassure health facilities that they are protected when treating gunshot victims. The ministry stated that efforts are being implemented to achieve complete compliance with the Act throughout the country.