The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) have renewed calls for hospitals to treat gunshot victims immediately without demanding police reports.
Both organisations made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, following recurring reports of hospitals neglecting gunshot victims during emergencies.
According to NAN, the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Wounds Act, signed into law in 2017, mandates that all hospitals—public or private—must provide prompt treatment to gunshot victims without requiring police documentation.
Section 7 of the Act stipulates that any person or authority whose actions or omissions result in the unnecessary death of a gunshot victim faces a penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a ₦500,000 fine, or both.
The Nigeria Police Force, in a circular dated October 25, 2023, also directed all officers to fully comply with the law, stressing that no delay in treatment would be tolerated.
‘Our duty is to save lives, not judge’ — NARD
Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, National President of NARD, condemned the refusal of some hospitals to treat gunshot victims as “unacceptable,” citing both the law and directives from the Federal Ministry of Health on emergency care.
Suleiman said some doctors might still be unaware of the law, adding that NARD regularly sensitises its members through Continuing Medical Education (CME) programmes on legal and ethical issues in medical practice.
“Where I practise in Katsina, we treat first. The police handle the process later. Our role as doctors is to save lives—not to judge,” Suleiman said.
He urged citizens to report any incidents of denial for investigation and emphasised that all emergency patients must be treated regardless of administrative or financial issues.
“Rejecting patients in emergencies is both criminal and unethical. Any doctor who turns away a patient in critical condition for monetary reasons must be held accountable,” he warned.
Suleiman also called for erring doctors to be reported to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) disciplinary tribunal, which he noted has powers equivalent to a Federal High Court.
Nurses must prioritise life — NMCN
Mr. Ndagi Alhassan, Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), said some nurses act based on restrictive hospital policies that contradict federal directives on emergency care.
“In some hospitals, policy demands documentation before care, but nurses must prioritise life. With the federal directive, saving the patient comes first; documentation can follow,” he explained.
Alhassan advised nurses to stabilise gunshot victims immediately and handle paperwork afterward.
“That’s the ethical, professional, and lawful approach nurses must follow in life-threatening emergencies,” he stated.
