Prosecute Hospitals Who Reject Gun-Shot Victims

 Arising from the increasing spate of deaths of gunshot victims due to the refusal of hospitals to treat them without a police report, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), the Crime Victims Foundation of Nigeria (CRIVIFON) has called for the prosecution of hospitals and medical staff who reject such victims contrary to the provisions of the Compulsory Treatment And Care For Victims Of Gunshots Act, 2017.

While condemning in strong terms the recently reported cases of rejection of gunshot victims by hospitals, which eventually led to their death, the Foundation highlighted those doctors and hospitals are breaching the provisions of the law thereby exposing themselves to criminal and civil liability.

In particular, Section 2 of the Victims of Gunshots Act states that “Every person, including security agents, shall render every possible assistance to any person with gunshot wounds and ensure that the person is taken to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment. “

Furthermore, Section 11 states that “Any person or authority including any police officer, other security agent or hospital who stands by and fails to perform his duty under this Act which results in the unnecessary death of any person with gunshot wounds commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of five years or both.”

In a statement signed by CRIVIFON’s Executive Director, Barr. (Mrs) Gloria Egbuji and issued on Tuesday, Foundation described the demand for police reports before treatment as totally unnecessary because the law now empowers hospitals to commence treatment before filing a police report. The Foundation, therefore, called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Commissioners of Police to fish out all such offending or negligent hospitals and their medical staff for prosecution in order to reverse this ugly trend.

While acknowledging the concerns of hospitals and doctors who complain about police harassment, the Foundation pointed out that such rogue policemen are acting against the law and should be reported immediately to their superiors rather than allow them to intimidate hospitals into flouting the law and causing unnecessary loss of lives.

At the same time, CRIVIFON has called on the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Association of General & Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), and other health sector bodies to educate their members on the need to obey the law.

It recalled the recent incidents where a gospel music producer popularly known as Ebenezer Ayeni was shot by armed robbers few days to his wedding in Ibadan and that of 32-year-old Odiri Onosigho, an accountant who similarly shot by armed robbers who were trying to collect his phone at First Gate Bus Stop, FESTAC in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos. Both were rejected by hospitals due to the non-presentation of police reports and later died as a result of the gun short injuries they sustained.