The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the National Health Act, 2014, to establish mandatory timelines for emergency medical treatment in hospitals, but failed to specifically address the controversial issue of gunshot victims and the requirement for police reports before treatment.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar ’Adua (Katsina Central), proposes that all licensed healthcare facilities assess emergency patients within 15 minutes of arrival and commence stabilisation within 30 minutes, while life-saving interventions must begin immediately in life-threatening situations.
The legislation, titled National Health Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (SB 759), seeks to introduce enforceable emergency treatment standards, structured referral procedures and sanctions for healthcare facilities and personnel found guilty of wilful negligence.
The Bill was however silent on the fate of gunshot victims, who are constantly being denied medical attention by healthcare providers without police report.
Many innocent victims of gunshot attacks have died while awaiting police reports to enable healthcare providers to attend to them during emergency situations.
Leading the debate on Wednesday, Yar ‘Adua said the proposed amendment would address the absence of clearly defined timelines for emergency medical attention, which he identified as a major contributor to preventable deaths from road accidents, maternal emergencies, strokes, cardiac arrests and severe infections.
He said the first few minutes after a medical emergency could determine whether a patient survives, insisting that access to life-saving treatment must not depend on social status, financial capacity or geographical location.
“Mr President, this amendment is simple in its purpose but profound in its effect. It seeks to ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of status, wealth, influence or geography, receives timely life-saving care during medical emergencies,” he said.
Yar ’Adua explained that although Section 20 of the existing National Health Act prohibits healthcare providers from refusing emergency treatment, it does not prescribe specific timelines or operational procedures to ensure compliance.
He said the amendment would make triage compulsory within 15 minutes, with stabilisation measures such as oxygen administration, intravenous fluids and pain management commencing within 30 minutes. Immediate life-saving interventions would also be mandatory once a life-threatening condition was identified.
The senator added that the proposed law would protect healthcare workers who act in good faith within documented resource limitations while imposing accountability for deliberate refusal or neglect of emergency cases.
Supporting the bill, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North), described it as timely, arguing that criminal liability for healthcare providers who deliberately abandon emergency patients would strengthen compliance and discourage negligence.
Senator Diket Plang (Plateau Central) also supported the proposal, particularly its provisions on prompt medical attention, trained personnel and structured referral arrangements for patients requiring specialised treatment.
However, Senator Francis Faduyile (Ondo South), a medical professional, cautioned against criminalising healthcare workers without addressing inadequate staffing, equipment, drugs and funding in hospitals.
He argued that doctors should not be held personally responsible for delays arising from institutional failures, citing situations where a hospital requiring five doctors had only one available to attend to multiple emergencies.
“The first question we want to ask is that we have what we call supply and demand. If the supply is not adequate to demand, there is no way the demand can be met,” he said.
Faduyile also called for stricter enforcement of the annual Certificate of Standards for healthcare facilities, insisting that criminal sanctions alone would not fix the country’s troubled health system.
“I don’t think sincerely just criminalising health professionals is going to improve the health system in this country,” he added.
The Senate Minority Leader, while backing the bill, urged the sponsor and the relevant committee to address the practice of hospitals demanding police reports before attending to accident victims and other emergency patients.
He maintained that saving lives must take precedence over police investigations, stressing that the circumstances surrounding an injury could be investigated after the victim had received medical attention.
He also called for a stronger emergency response system involving ambulances, paramedics, fire service personnel and other first responders, recounting his experience in Mexico, where emergency responders arrived promptly at accident scenes.
Senator Jibrin Isa (Kogi East) also supported the bill but raised concerns about hospitals demanding deposits before treatment, the handling of patients suspected of criminal activities and the adequacy of proposed sanctions.
He questioned whether a patient who could not afford a hospital deposit should be denied emergency treatment, insisting that financial considerations must not stand in the way of saving lives.
Jibrin also argued that the proposed penalties, including a N100,000 fine and imprisonment of up to six months under the existing provision, were inadequate to deter violations.
“One hundred thousand naira, to me, is negligible compared to people’s lives. We are talking about people’s lives,” he said, calling for stiffer penalties.
On gunshot victims and patients suspected of involvement in armed robbery, banditry or other criminal activities, senators maintained that medical personnel must first provide emergency treatment before handing suspects over to security agencies.
“Treat a human being first, whether it’s an armed robber, whether it’s a bandit, then get him arrested. Arrest him there and then. Get him treated and then, of course, hand him over to the police,” lawmakers argued.
Despite the concerns raised, senators overwhelmingly supported the bill’s second reading, after which Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred it to the Committee on Health, Secondary and Tertiary for further legislative consideration.
The committee was given four weeks to report back, with expectations that it would examine the issues of staffing, medical equipment, emergency treatment funding, hospital deposits, referral arrangements, protection of healthcare workers and appropriate sanctions for negligence.
If passed into law, the amendment is expected to establish enforceable emergency treatment timelines across the country and strengthen the obligation of healthcare facilities to provide immediate medical attention, irrespective of a patient’s financial circumstances or the circumstances surrounding an injury.
