The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to hospital managements that refuse to attend to emergency cases brought to their facilities, threatening to take legal action against them.
Speaking at a ceremony in Abuja over the weekend, Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, emphasized the government’s resolve to address this issue.
The media was flooded with reports in October 2023 about the tragic death of Greatness Olorunfemi, a victim of a road traffic robbery known as ‘one chance’, who was denied treatment at Maitama Hospital in Abuja. She was thrown out of a moving vehicle after being robbed.
Similar incidents occurred in the past, including the rejection of two gunshot victims at a Lagos hospital, leading to their demise.
Concerns over these incidents prompted the House of Representatives to direct the Federal Ministry of Health to take decisive action against hospitals rejecting accident or gunshot victims without a police report earlier this year.
Reaffirming the government’s stance, Kennedy-Ohanenye stated that such incidents would no longer be tolerated. Hospitals are now mandated to display signposts stating ‘No more rejection of emergency patients’ outside their premises.
Additionally, she announced the establishment of a mobile court to address these cases promptly.
Kennedy-Ohanenye stated, “Our hospitals will also put a sign of ‘No more rejection of emergency patients’. These are some of the major issues we have in this country. I am in touch with Maitama Hospital. But now, I have a mobile court for any hospital that does that. I am using this opportunity to call on all Nigerians to be vigilant.”
She commended Nigerians for using social media to address issues but urged them to focus on tackling the main issues. “This fight is not for one person alone. It is for all of us,” she added.
