By Lara Adejoro
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate has expressed concern over the non-compliance to the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017 in most medical facilities. Pate said gunshot victims come under medical emergencies that require urgent attention to save the life of the patient or victim.
The Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Act stipulates that every hospital in Nigeria, whether public or private, shall accept or receive for immediate and adequate treatment with or without police clearance; and 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.
However, a statement signed by the Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Patricia Deworitshe, noted that in recent times, the society has witnessed a rise in the loss of lives as a result of the refusal of some health facilities to attend to gunshot victims of one-chance who do not present police reports. “Gunshot victims come under medical emergencies that require urgent attention to save the life of the patient or victim. It has come to the knowledge of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, of the slow or non-compliance by most medical facilities going contrary to the Gunshot Act 2017 which mandates all medical facilities to provide for the compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots and related matters.
“In line with this mandate, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is concerned about the spate of gunshot incidences and the refusal of some of the health facilities to administer treatment and care for the victim or patient without a police report.
In an unrelated development, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has demanded the payment of its N25, 000 quarterly accoutrement allowance for medical and dental doctors in hospitals, medical centres, and clinics in the federal public service.
NARD made this known in its communiqué issued at the end of its January National Executive Council meeting and health summit held in Abuja from January 30 to February 3, 2024, with the theme, “Attaining Universal Health Coverage and Optimal Medical Training in the Face of a Challenging Economy; Could Technology be the Answer?”
In 2023, the Federal Government approved the payment of N25, 000 of peculiar allowance for medical and dental doctors in hospitals, medical centres, and clinics in the federal public service. The government made this known in a letter titled, “Accoutrement allowance for medical and dental doctors in hospitals, medical centres, and clinics in federal MDAs,” dated July 26, 2023.
The letter was signed by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Ekpo Nta. The letter partly read, “The Federal Government has approved the payment of an Accoutrement allowance of twenty-five naira (N25, 000.00) per quarter to Medical and Dental Doctors in hospitals, medical centres, and clinics in the Federal Public Service. The allowance is to be paid from the overhead budget. “The approval takes effect from June 1, 2023. All enquiries relating to this circular should be directed to the Commission.”
