By Fortune Mbonu
The Nigerian Senate is considering a bill seeking to penalise public and private hospitals that delay or refuse emergency medical treatment to patients.
The proposed amendment to the National Health Act 2014, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, seeks to strengthen emergency healthcare delivery by introducing specific timelines for attending to patients.
Under the proposed legislation, hospitals would be required to assess emergency patients within 15 minutes of arrival and commence initial stabilisation measures, including oxygen administration, intravenous fluids and pain management, within 30 minutes.
The bill also requires healthcare facilities to allocate available beds within two hours or initiate referral and transfer arrangements where they lack the capacity to manage a patient’s condition.
Hospitals and healthcare providers found violating the proposed requirements could face fines of up to ₦300,000, imprisonment for six months, or both.
The proposed amendment is aimed at addressing delays in emergency medical care, particularly cases where patients are turned away or denied immediate attention because of financial constraints or administrative procedures.
If passed into law, the legislation would introduce stricter accountability measures for healthcare facilities and reinforce the obligation to provide timely emergency medical attention.
The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate and has not yet become law.
