A bill seeking to jail medical practitioners who let victims of gunshot wounds die for lack of a police report has passed the second reading in the senate.

The bill is sponsored by Osita Izunaso (PDP Imo State) and the major concern is to save lives lost daily to a directive that victims of accidents and gunshots must produce police reports before they are even given first aid treatment in clinics.

“In a country where there are increasing cases of armed robbery and corresponding increases in the number of Nigerians shot on a daily basis, this bill could not have come at better time than now,” Mr. Izunaso said in his lead debate.

The bill seeks to empower medical practitioners to treat gunshots and accident victims first and then intimate the police of the presence of such victims.

“This bill also seeks to prevent the police from removing any victim of gunshot from any hospital without certifying the person fit by a health practitioner or hounding health practitioners who treat gunshot victims. The bill has penal sections with varying degrees of jail terms for offenders.” Mr. Izunaso added.

While arguing for the bill, Mr. Izunaso recounted various sad experiences, from that of Bayo Ohu, The Guardian journalist who was shot dead on September 20, to other Nigerians who had no recognition, where Nigerians were left to die in a pool of their blood in hospitals because there was no police report.

“It is illegal for the police to insist on police report before a medical practitioner treats a victim of gunshot,” Mr. Izunaso said. “The refusal to treat victims of gunshot or forceful withdrawal of gunshot victims from where he is receiving treatment runs contrary to the spirit and intentions of section 33 (1) and section 34 (1a) of the 1999 constitution.

"These provisions have guaranteed Nigerians the right to life and dignity of human persons including armed robbers. Thus even where the victim of a gunshot is an armed robber, he still has the right to life and must not die.”

Illegal police directive

Tawar Umbi Wada (PDP Gombe State) said there is no law empowering the police to stop the treatment of gunshot victims without a police report.

He explained that what started as a crime reduction strategy by the police was later misconstrued by both police officers and medical practitioners. He said that the real issue is, perhaps, who takes responsibility for the cost of the treatment of such victims.

In her view, Chris Anyanwu (PDP Imo State) said most deaths due to gunshots and other accident victims are due to the “callousness” of most medical practitioners.

She recounted an experience in Maitama General Hospital, Abuja where a young doctor turned down all pleas from her and other sympathisers and watched another young man die of accident wounds.

“Such acts of callousness should be severely punished.” She said.

Source

Doctors will have to treat all gunshot victims without first asking for a police report.

fantastic news

This is best thing to happen to Nigerians since a long time.

They should promote this news everywhere; radio, TV, villages, town, schools.

well done.

This is long overdue.

After so many people have died innocently?

This is long overdue.

@OMO IBO
yet very welcoming and worth celebrating isn't it,

Bayo Ohu did not die in vain!

it is only when a prominent Nigerian becomes a victim of our confused state that we
realize how confused we are.

[quote ]
A bill seeking to jail medical practitioners who let victims of gunshot wounds die for lack of a police report has passed the second reading in the senate.

[quote][/quote]

The post did not say the bill has been passed. It has only passed second reading.

@Poster

Pls stop using misleading Headings.

I hope it gets passed at the end anyway.

mike oscar:

@OMO IBO
yet very welcoming and worth celebrating isn't it,

Very welcoming in deed but it beggars belief that it took so long to get to this stage.

All it needed was common sense.

na today

It is a well ideal,because so ma ny people have died from this ugly situation, i have been a victim of gunshot by men of the under world when i was traveling  and it was by the grace of God i survived. It is good they do this, but care must be taken not to mis use this opportunity.We know Nigerians.I pray for the re- Branding of the heart by every citizens.

it's a welcome idea.

good news

sandee575:

it is only when a prominent Nigerian becomes a victim of our confused state that we
realize how confused we are.

true

this is progress, no matter what, but some people are sad about it already, idiots.

but who's goin2 take care of d cost implications?

igbayi laaro awon ode numerous lives were lost to those police report palava but i'm glad they realized

Joke of the century[/color][color=#990000][color=#990000][/color].

After 10 years, we find a spark in the brain cell of hundreds of morons, that pack into the legislative chambers, to correct the policy prescribed by a supermoron.

Someone actually sat down and formulated a policy that states that an individual dying of gunshot wound that obviously will need rapid medical intervention should first seek out the police force, explain to them the circumstances of his wounds, get a note from them and then take a journey back to the hospital before he is treated.

Retarded souls!!!

its about time inshort long overdue worry this issue
i mean anyone can be shot, a criminal or an innocent person.
common sense

Sagamite:

After 10 years, we find a spark in the brain cell of hundreds of morons, that pack into the legislative chambers, to correct the policy prescribed by a supermoron.

Someone actually sat down and formulated a policy that states that an individual dying of gunshot wound that obviously will need rapid medical intervention should first seek out the police force, explain to them the circumstances of his wounds, get a note from them and then take a journey back to the hospital before he is treated.

Retarded souls!!!

My dear, you just took the words out of my mouth. The same way some idiot woke up one bright and sunny morning probably after having nightmares of scantily clad girls, drove to work, sat her butt down and decided to concoct and pass an "indecent dressing" bill. That's what one gets when we have a bunch of Mega-morons in government.

not to pour cold water on ur yarns but u can't force me to treat gunshot victims,it is my right to decide as a medical doctor who i want to render care to,so although it may not be ethical it definitely cannot be illegal. enough of jungle legislation pls

matrim:

not to pour cold water on your yarns but u can't force me to treat gunshot victims,it is my right to decide as a medical doctor who i want to render care to,so although it may not be ethical it definitely cannot be illegal. enough of jungle legislation pls

Wonder why you became a medical doctor for crying out loud

to make a living. anything wrong with that ?

matrim:

not to pour cold water on your yarns but u can't force me to treat gunshot victims,it is my right to decide as a medical doctor who i want to render care to,so although it may not be ethical it definitely cannot be illegal. enough of jungle legislation pls

Matrim honey, it is not your right anything. Maybe if you are a doctor in Naija, you can do anything you want because no one cares.  I cannot speak for other countries but in the US your license will be either be suspended, revoked or you'll go to jail. You cannot play ten-ten with people's lives here. A place where you DARE NOT pass an accident victim on the road if you are a Doctor or nurse. If you don't want to do your job as a medical doctor especially when you are qualified to do so, that's dangerous. Technically, you are a hazard to the field.

I hope it passes. Lives will be saved.

matrim:

to make a living. anything wrong with that ?

U better stick to religion section, u make more sense there. Wonder which one u are, native medical doctor or auxillary medical doctor. U do not even know what obligations and ethics of the profession u claim to practice are.

^^Una no go kill me 4 NL.Which one be Native medical Doctor?

matrim:

not to pour cold water on your yarns but u can't force me to treat gunshot victims,it is my right to decide as a medical doctor who i want to render care to,so although it may not be ethical it definitely cannot be illegal. enough of jungle legislation pls

Are you really serious or you are just trying to make us laugh by being a wisecrack?

Did they teach you anything about regulations and ethics when you were in medical school? You think the medical profession is a place you can "act as you wish"?

Lets even put it in reverse gear. Are you working as a doctor in a government hospital or in a private one?

Bleep me, please tell me what they taught you in medical school. Did they also tell you you can chose who you render care to, as you arbitrarily wish, based on their tribe or age or sex?

Which Medical school did you go to?