Medical practitioners in Nigeria risk a five-year jail term or a fine of N500,000 if found guilty of denying victims of gunshot and related matters immediate medical treatment because they failed to present a police report.

The Acting Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, on Saturday, directed all medical practitioners and facilities to abide by the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act of 2017.

The acts provide victims of gunshot wounds the right to medical treatment with or without a police report and the failure of any person to adhere to the act would result in jail term or a fine.

Section 1 of the Act states 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 wound.”

Section 11 further prescribes punishments for individuals who fail to adhere to the demands of the Act, stating: “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 N500,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of five years or both.”

However, Section 5 of the Act states that: “A hospital that fails to make a report as required under section 3 of this Act commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000.00, and every doctor directly concerned with the treatment is equally liable on conviction to for a term of six months or a fine of N100,000.00 or imprisonment or both.”

The measures were put in place to deter hospitals from rejecting gunshot or accident victims and to ensure that the treatment of such patients is reported to the police for investigations.

This followed rising complaints by Nigerians that hospitals refuse to promptly attend to gunshot patients who do not present police reports.

Egbetokun stated the reason for demanding the implementation of the act. “This decision comes as a response to the relentless outcry from concerned citizens and the broader community, highlighting the tragic consequences of delays in treating these victims,” he said