Nigerian Hospitals Now Ordered To Treat Gunshot Victims Without Police Report

The Nigerian Senate has passed a bill aimed at ensuring the passage of a law that victims of gunshot wounds receive treatment from medical workers and assistance from security agencies. The Senate now knows what every Nigerian has been scaring at the top of their lungs for since time immemorial – Not every victim of gunshot wound is a criminal!Nigerian hospitals and security agencies have for long being ordered to demand police report from victims wounded from gunshot before rendering any form of assistance. The reasoning behind it was to ensure that criminals involved in gun battles are easily caught. But the delays and difficulties in getting police reports before treatment has lead to unnecessary deaths of innocent victims and even recognised criminals.Now the Senate has moved to ensure that every hospital in Nigeria, both public and private, must accept to treat victims of gunshot wounds without any clearance from the police. The bill also ensures that every person including security agents shall render every possible assistance to any person with gunshot wounds and ensure that the victim is taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.Additionally, no person with gunshot wounds shall be refused immediate and adequate treatment by any hospital in Nigeria whether or not initial monetary deposit is paid.Photo Credit: Getty

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