The Nigerian Senate has advanced a bill seeking to punish public and private hospitals that turn away emergency patients with six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to ₦300,000, or both.
The proposed legislation, SB. 759, seeks to amend the National Health Act, 2014, by introducing stricter rules for hospitals that handle medical emergencies.
Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, who represents Katsina Central, sponsored the bill. The proposal has passed its second reading in the Senate.
Under the proposed amendment, hospitals must follow specific timelines when attending to patients who need urgent medical attention.
Emergency Treatment Deadlines
The bill gives hospitals 15 minutes after a patient’s arrival to assess their condition and determine the level of care they need. A doctor must conduct the assessment, but a certified nurse can take charge if no doctor is available.
It also requires medical facilities to begin stabilisation within 30 minutes. Initial treatment may include oxygen, intravenous fluids, pain relief and other procedures that help prevent the patient’s condition from worsening.
Healthcare workers must also perform life-saving procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), airway management and bleeding control when necessary.
Hospitals must provide admission beds within two hours if they have available spaces.
Where a facility lacks an available bed, it must first stabilise the patient before arranging transfer to another hospital within the stipulated period.
The proposal also gives hospitals 30 minutes to dispatch an ambulance or arrange alternative transportation after deciding to refer a patient. The entire referral process must take no more than three hours.
Mandatory Training for Healthcare Workers
The bill also seeks to strengthen emergency response through compulsory training and certification for relevant healthcare professionals.
It directs the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria to develop a standard training programme for healthcare workers who handle emergency cases. Under the proposal, practitioners must renew their emergency care certification every 18 months.
However, the bill recognises that some hospitals may lack the equipment, personnel or other resources needed to meet every requirement.
It therefore protects healthcare practitioners from penalties when resource shortages prevent compliance, provided they document the challenges and follow the required emergency care and referral procedures.
After its second reading, the Senate referred the bill to its Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) for further consideration.
Notably, the committee has four weeks to submit its report to the Senate and the proposal must complete the remaining legislative stages before it can become law.
