The Federal Government yesterday ordered medical institutions to treat accident and gunshot victims brought to them or face criminal charges.
It warned that refusal to treat an accident or gunshot victim is a crime which is punishable by law and attracts a jail term or fine of N50,000 and above.
This was disclosed at a news conference by Health Minister Professor Babatunde Osotimehin and his counterpart, Dr Aliyu Idi Hong.
Also at the briefing were the Deputy Inspector General of Police Uba Ringim and the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps Chidoka Osita.
They advised that lives of victims should be held sacred before any other modalities.
Professor Babatunde Osotimehin appealed to his colleagues to attend to victims of either gunshots or accidents as they await either police report or clearance, delay which might cause the loss of victim, thereby destroying evidence which would have been cardinal to the case.
He said, "We as medical professionals should treat first, we should not put money before the lives of our patients, don't ask for payment or police report, just give treatment."
The Inspector General of Police, who was represented by D.I.G Uba Ringim, said it was wrong to insist on seeing a police report before treating accident and gunshot victims, adding, "We have issued directives to all police stations on the matter and ordered them to carry the message to all clinics in their vicinity."
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps Chidoka Osita said the refusal or rejection of a gunshot or accident victim is a crime and contravenes Section 10.4.Z of the FRSC code and attracts a fine of N50,000 and above.
He added that the section would henceforth be enforced by law against any hospital or persons who is in error.
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That's all fine and dandy. This is long, long overdue, really. But even with this announcement and purported promise, what is the guarantee that this new supposed edict by the Nigerian Police, will ACTUALLY be enforced by the doctors and hospitals? Or, that if these doctors and hospitals were to flount these rules (which they are surely going to do, even massively, this being "Nigeria"),that the police is going to press any issues with them to have them actually do it?
Most pathetically, the common problem with Nigeria and the Nigerian officialdom, is endemic lack of enforcement of the rules and lack of any follow through or accountability. This horrow story has now surfaced exposing the utter incompetence and, in deed, dereliction of official duty by these officials, and these officials (the police and health ministry officials, etc) have now emerged out of their slumber suddenly to make all these lofty pronouncements about how they are suddenly going to do wonders to improve the horrow situation. Suddenly, Mr. Uba Ringim, the senior police official, tells us that "we have issued directives to all police stations on the matter and ordered them to carry the message to all clinics."
BUT, QUESTIONS: 1) Where had Mr. Dingim and his fellow high officers at the police department been all these years before now? 2)What is the practical mechanism (working telephones, name of designated personnel to contact, specific instructions, etc)by which citizens who get denied medical treatment by hospitals and doctors, can then follow up on enforcing their legitimate legal rights under these belated "issued directives" by Mr. Ringim and the police force?
In today's 21st Century Nigeria, we can NO LONGER AFFORD to simple make, or listen to, fanciful public pronouncements by our publicly paid officials only at emergency times. We MUST see action and performance at all times in all circumstances, without excuses and cop outs - or else, mete out sanctions with all certainty and regularity against the nonperforming officials. Only then, shall we ever begin to see any marked improvement, progress, and development in Nigeria in anything!
Thank you. Benjamin Anosike, Ph.D. USA