Njenje Media — Abuja — The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) have restated that hospitals across the country must provide immediate treatment to gunshot victims without insisting on a police report.
The organisations issued this reminder during separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, following repeated cases of hospitals refusing emergency care to gunshot victims.
The Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Wounds Act, enacted in 2017, mandates all public and private hospitals to treat gunshot victims without delay or police documentation. Section 7 of the Act provides that anyone whose action or inaction leads to a victim’s death could face up to five years in prison, a ₦500,000 fine, or both.
The Nigeria Police Force also reinforced this law in an October 25, 2023 circular, directing all officers to ensure compliance. The directive made it clear that no hospital should delay emergency treatment because police reports are missing.
Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, National President of NARD, described the refusal to treat such patients as “unacceptable,” stressing that the law and Federal Ministry of Health guidelines require hospitals to save lives first.
“Where I practice in Katsina, we treat first and the police follow up. Our role as doctors is to save lives — not judge,” Suleiman said.
He noted that some doctors might not be fully aware of the law and explained that NARD routinely educates its members through Continuing Medical Education programmes on legal and ethical obligations.
While unaware of any recent reported cases, Suleiman urged Nigerians to report any incident of refusal to treat gunshot victims. He also warned that turning away emergency patients is both a criminal act and a serious ethical breach.
“Any doctor who rejects a patient in a critical condition for monetary reasons must be held accountable. Offenders should face the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria disciplinary tribunal, which has powers equivalent to a Federal High Court,” he added.
Registrar of NMCN, Mr. Ndagi Alhassan, highlighted that some nurses act based on restrictive hospital policies that contradict federal directives.
“In some hospitals, policy demands documentation before care, but nurses must prioritise life. With the federal directive, saving the patient comes first, then documentation can follow,” he explained.
Alhassan urged nurses to stabilise gunshot victims immediately and handle paperwork afterwards. “That’s the ethical, professional, and lawful approach in life-threatening emergencies,” he said.
The two organisations called on health professionals and hospitals nationwide to strictly adhere to the law, putting patient lives above all administrative processes.
