It would not be an understament for one to say that human life in Nigeria is short, hard, cheap, and brutish.
The incongruous demand of a police report by many Nigerian hospitals before treating victims of gunshots, bullets injuries, as well as accidents has led to the loss of lives on ridiculous grounds, infact it has become a normal culture and cannot be overlooked.
There have been many instances, reports, and testimonies by Nigerians who constantly frown on why hospitals in Nigeria tend to insist on police reports before treating victims of unprecedented circumstances.
This actions by hospitals has thrown many families in disarray, shattering numerous destinies, and leaving people in pain and agony.
Such actions by many Nigerian hospitals, could be linked to the yardstick of a failed and dyfunctional health sector, as a police report has become a requirement for treatment of medical emergencies in Nigeria.
A closer look at Section 20 (1) of the National Health Act, signed into law on December 2014 by former President Good -luck Ebele Johnathan criminalizes the insisting on police report by hospitals, before treating cases of emergencies .
The act states that a health care provider, health worker or health establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason whatsoever. Subsection (2) states that any person who contravenes this section is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both. In subsection (3), it notes, “Without prejudice to section 19(1) and except for psychiatric patients, a health care provider may refuse to treat a user who is physically or verbally abusive or who sexually harasses him or her, and in such a case the health care provider should report the incident to the appropriate authority.”
Complimenting this laws, Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 had also signed the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot .
This laws had henced made it illegal for the needless demand of hospital to seek police report during cases of emergencies.
It is rather very unfortunate, that although there are laws kicking against the issuance of police report in case of medical emergencies, it appears that this laws appear only on paper, and not enforceable, therefore it would not be out of place to say that the government has abandoned it and gone to sleep.
Nigeria’s hospitals must rethink their police report policy, as it’s leading to unnecessary loss of lives. The demand for a police report before treating victims of gunshots, bullet injuries, and accidents is not only incongruous but also inhumane. This practice has become a normal culture in Nigeria, causing pain, agony, and disarray for many families.
Despite the National Health Act of 2014 and the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act of 2017, which criminalize the refusal of emergency medical treatment, hospitals continue to insist on police reports. These laws state that healthcare providers cannot refuse emergency treatment for any reason, and violating this law can result in fines or imprisonment.
However, the lack of enforcement of these laws has led to a culture of impunity, where hospitals prioritize police reports over human lives. This is a clear indication of a failed and dysfunctional health sector.
To address this issue, the federal and state governments must collaborate to uphold the law and improve healthcare delivery. This includes ensuring that hospitals comply with the National Health Act and providing adequate funding for healthcare infrastructure.
Ultimately, Nigeria’s hospitals must prioritize human life over bureaucratic procedures. The insistence on police reports is a stark reminder of the country’s weak institutions and the need for urgent reform.
Protection of live and properties are one of the responsibilities of Government, hence it is important that the ministries of health of the federal and state governments should collaborate to uphold the law and other far-reaching aspects of the Act to improve healthcare delivery in the health sector, they should do now, and save the nation from this shackles of embarrassment.
