Don't rejects gunshot victims, Lagos Police warn doctors
(Nigeria) The Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday warned
hospitals and doctors to henceforth desist from rejecting gunshot victims,
saying such act constitutes a flagrant violation of an existing law.
Reacting to a media
report on the refusal of an hospital to treat a victim who was shot and wounded
by armed robbers, the police said it must be noted that doctors who do so are
criminally liable on account of the provision of the Compulsory Treatment and
Care of Victims Of Gunshot Act, 2017.
In a statement by the
Command's Public Relations Officer, Mr Chike Oti, the police said it would
henceforth arrest and prosecute any medical practitioner who rejects gunshot
victims on the ground of police report.
"The attention of the Nigeria Police, Lagos State
Command, has been drawn to media publication of May 14,
2018, captioned " Hospital rejects victim over bullet injuries.'
"The story goes that one Engr. Adebayo Akinwunmi, a
senior engineer with an Information and Communications Technology company, was
shot and wounded by armed robbers in his house at Ofada-Mokoloki, Ogun state
and was brought to Reddington hospital, Ikeja for treatment only to be refused
admission on the unlawful and inexcusable grounds that there was no police
report.
"The Command considers the action of the hospital as
cruel; perhaps, an indication that the hospital management may be ignorant of
the "Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims Of Gunshot Act, 2017,"
Oti said.
He said the Act demands that every hospital in Nigeria
whether public or private 'shall accept or receive for immediate and adequate
treatment with or without police clearance any person with a gunshot wounds.'
"The Act, however requires the hospital treating such a
patient to report the fact to the nearest police station within two hours of
commencement of treatment," Oti clarified.
He said the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi
Edgal was saddened by the allegation against the said hospital, and had
henceforth directed the arrest and prosecution of any medical practitioner who
violates the law.
"The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Imohimi
Edgal, saddened by the allegation against the Reddington Hospital, has directed
all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in Lagos State to henceforth
arrest and diligently prosecute any medical practitioner who rejects a gunshot
victim on the ground of no police report.
"The CP wants doctors to note that the Act recommends a
5-year-jail term for any person, hospital or authority who stands by or omits
to do his bit which results in the unnecessary death of any person with bullet
wounds," Oti said.
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