The Federal Government has mandated all public and private healthcare facilities across the country to provide necessary treatment to gunshot victims without requiring police clearance.
This directive was announced by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
The announcement was detailed in a statement shared on the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s official X account and signed by its Director of Information, Patricia Deworitshe, today 7/12/24.
The statement, titled “Non-Compliance of Medical Facilities with the Gunshot Act 2017,” highlighted reports of hospitals across the country rejecting gunshot victims, leading to preventable loss of lives.
“Recently, there has been an increase in fatalities due to some health facilities refusing to treat gunshot victims without police reports,” the statement partially read.
FG states that gunshot victims require emergency care
Deworitshe clarified that gunshot victims are considered emergencies that need immediate medical attention to save lives.
“The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has become aware of the slow or lack of compliance by many medical facilities in providing mandatory treatment and care for gunshot victims and related cases.
The Act also specifies that all hospitals in Nigeria, both public and private, must provide immediate and proper treatment to gunshot victims, regardless of police clearance.”
