In recent times, the
society has witnessed a rise in the loss of lives as a result of the refusal of
some health facilities to attend to gunshot and victims of one-chance who do
not present police reports.
Gunshot victims come
under medical emergencies that require urgent attention in order to save the
life of the patient or victim. 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 going contrary with the gunshot Act 2017 which mandates all
medical facilities to provide for the compulsory treatment and care for victims
of gunshots; and related matters. The Act goes further to stipulate that:
a)
Every hospital in Nigeria whether public or private shall accept
or receive for immediate and adequate treatment with or without police
clearance.
b) Every
person including security agents shall render every possible assistance to any
person with gunshots wounds and ensure that the person is taken to the nearest
hospital for immediate treatment.
In line with this
mandate, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is concerned about
the spate of gunshot incidences and refusal of some of the health facilities to
administer treatment and care for the victim or patient without police report.
The Coordinating
Minister of Health and Social Welfare,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 while, strategies are being put in place by the
Ministry to ensure compliance to the Act by Nigerian healthcare facilities.
The police is also
urged to comply with and enforce the provisions of the compulsory treatment and
care for victims of gunshot ACT 2017 with promptness as well as reassure the
health facilities that treatment of gunshot victims is not illegal.
Signed:
Patricia
Deworitshe
Director (Information
