As far as I am aware, In the general sense (whether in Nigeria or anywhere else), yes, hospitals can turn away patients, but not when there is clearly a need for emergency medical treatment.

In non-emergency situations, it would depend on whether the hospital is public or private. In a situation where there is not an emergency, a private hospital has the right to turn away anyone they want for whatever reason. It would be illegal for a public hospital to do that though.

In that situation you described though, of someone clearly bleeding to death from an injury no public or private hospital has the right to turn that person away. That's against what they should be representing. 

If they nurse the person back to health, there are no implications on the hospital, they're just doing their job.

All that stuff about police report, money, etc is secondary when a life needs to be saved.

The hospital has no better reason for not treating the young boy, except that the entire staff hospital could have been locked up in a police cell, accused of treating criminals and finally put out of business.

That's Nigeria police for you. Una well done oooo.

I think it is the govt that will have to revisit the law and make a clause to make sure, when emergency is involved and it is btw life and death, the patient shd be treated, but afterwards should be reported to the police for questioning, but when it invloves life and death, i blv the hospitals shd use their discretion as well, treat the patient.

I notice that Nairaland is full with negative news of Nigeria. Blah, blah, blah, blah.


Enough!!!! Nigeria is bad, evil, this, that, : doesn't stop foreigners and foreign coporations from making the Millions, MILLIONS, and millions of dollars from this bad, evil country we call Nigeria. 

I recently met with a political figure from this same evil country we all call Nigeria who will be purchasing a house in Atlanta cash down,  all the same evil, bad, dysfunctional country.


Every Nigerian needs to be held accountable for not planning and willing to change their country. The solution to change is definately not to run to another man's country.

@ $$Rhino 10x,yeah i think d govt will need to rephrase their statement to mk sure dat wen it has to do with an emergency(i.e life nd death)dat d patient should be given proper medication and attended to immediately.theirafter d police can now look into d matter

Hello.
It is wickedness should a hospital refuse to administer treatment to a person in dire need of such.many person(s) have lost their lives because of the fear of what the police will do
to such institutions.
The hospital should as a matter of fact treat such people and then call in the police to investigate:what better means are there to save a life and apprehend a felon?

hell no it's not right! i saw a similar situation is some Naija/Ghanian movie i came across by accident and was completely pissed off for a week! how can people in a HOSPITAL watch somebody die because there is no paper from the Naija police? (who will most likely arrest you when you go to get it sef)

I thought that Doctors take the Hippocratic oath before they start practicing? aren't they obliged to save lives in any situation they can? the whole thing is bullshitty, can't they sort out the police wahala after the person has been stabilized? even if this law was thought up because they assume it's criminals that will most likely come in with gunshot wounds, is it not still wrong? how will the hypothetical criminal be condemnded to death without hearing or trial?

it's some very messed up law that should be discarded

I understand a review of that law is already with the senate.The Drs are simply obeying the previous law.