The Federal Ministry of Health and Social welfare has expressed worry over the slow or non- compliance by most medical facilities going contrary with the gunshot Act 2017 which mandates all medical facilities to provide compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots; and related matters.
Director (Information) of the Ministry, Patricia Deworitshe disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
Deworitshe complained that the society had 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.
She said, gunshot victims come under medical emergencies that require urgent attention in order to save the life of the patient or victim.
Quoting the gunshot Act 2017, the Director said, “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:
Every hospital in Nigeria whether public or private 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 gunshots wounds and ensure that the person is taken to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment”.
Therefore, in line with this mandate Deworitshe stated that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was 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 statement read in part; “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”.
