The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to impose tougher penalties on hospitals and healthcare providers that refuse or delay emergency medical treatment in Nigeria.
The proposed amendment to the National Health Act, 2014, prescribes a fine of up to N300,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both, for offenders.
Sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua of Katsina Central, the bill seeks to make emergency treatment standards and referral procedures compulsory for public and private healthcare facilities.
Under the proposal, hospitals would be required to begin triage and initial assessment of emergency patients within 15 minutes of their arrival.
Basic stabilisation, including oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids and pain relief, must begin within 30 minutes, while life-saving interventions must start immediately once a life-threatening condition is identified.
The bill also requires hospitals to begin referral arrangements within two hours where necessary and complete the transfer process within three hours, subject to certain exceptions.
It further proposes mandatory emergency care training and certification for healthcare workers involved in emergency services.
The Senate referred the bill to the relevant committee for further legislative work and is expected to receive a report within four weeks.
The proposed law is not yet in force. If eventually passed and signed into law, it would strengthen existing provisions that already prohibit the refusal of emergency medical treatment.
