Senate has proposed six-month jail term and ₦300,000 fine for hospitals that neglect emergency patients.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Senate is considering a bill seeking to impose up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of ₦300,000 on hospitals and healthcare providers that violate proposed emergency medical treatment standards.
The proposed legislation also seeks to compel public and private hospitals to assess emergency patients within 15 minutes of arrival, commence initial stabilisation within 30 minutes and complete referrals to other healthcare facilities within three hours where necessary.
Sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, the bill seeks to amend the National Health Act, 2014, to establish enforceable standards for emergency medical treatment, healthcare workers’ training and patient referral procedures.
Leading the debate during Wednesday’s plenary, Yar’Adua said the proposed amendment would address critical gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system and ensure that patients receive timely and life-saving treatment during emergencies, regardless of their social status, wealth, influence or location.
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He said the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria would jointly develop and maintain a standardised national emergency care curriculum.
Under the proposal, healthcare workers involved in emergency medical services would be required to undergo training and certification at intervals not exceeding 18 months.
The bill also provides that public and private healthcare facilities licensed to provide emergency medical care must commence triage and initial assessment within 15 minutes of a patient’s arrival at the emergency department.
Where a licensed medical doctor is unavailable, a trained and certified nurse may conduct the initial assessment.
Yar’Adua said any individual or healthcare facility that violates the proposed provisions would be liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding ₦300,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
Proposed Emergency Treatment Timelines
The amendment further requires hospitals to commence basic stabilisation measures within 30 minutes of a patient’s arrival.
Such measures include oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, pain relief and preliminary diagnostic procedures.
It also mandates immediate life-saving interventions, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management and bleeding control, once a life-threatening condition is identified.
For patients requiring admission, hospitals would be expected to assign a bed within two hours, subject to availability.
However, healthcare facilities without available beds would be required to stabilise patients immediately and commence referral arrangements within two hours of arrival or as soon as the patient is assessed and considered stable for transfer.
The proposed legislation also requires hospitals to begin ambulance dispatch or arrange alternative transportation within 30 minutes of deciding to refer a patient to another facility.
Yar’Adua said the proposed amendment was consistent with international practices, citing emergency healthcare standards in Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Senate Whip Backs Proposed Sanctions
Supporting the bill, the Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, representing Borno North Senatorial District, said the proposed legislation would help address avoidable deaths resulting from road accidents and maternal emergencies.
Monguno lamented that some healthcare providers neglect patients requiring urgent medical attention, sometimes resulting in preventable deaths.
He said introducing criminal liability for violations of emergency treatment standards would help strengthen accountability among healthcare providers.
The bill is part of proposed legislative efforts to improve emergency medical services and establish clearer responsibilities for healthcare facilities across Nigeria.
