Nigerian Government, yesterday, directed medical doctors to treat emergencies, including gun-shot victims, without requesting for police clearance or other restraints.
Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, gave the order at the swearing in ceremony of 342 foreign trained medical doctors and six dentistry graduates in Abuja. The foreign graduates were successful in the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) assessment held from April 6 to 8, which enables them to practice in the country.
Adewole urged them to treat patients on emergency before asking for money, adding that “life is more precious than money”.
He further advised them to continually practice within the limit of their competence and imbibe global best practice to better their lots in the profession. “Hospitals are sanctuary for the sick and injured, never must our hospitals be closed for whatever reasons; even in war time situations, hospital must remain open. “Doctors must show no restraint in treating emergencies, even with gun-shot wounds, you must treat them, thereafter, raise questions. “You must also treat emergencies before asking for money because life is more precious than money,” he said.
An aspect of much needed change. In all civilized nations of the world, the welfare and well being of victims of gunshot wounds is paramount. It is okay if such victims are able to give a brief statement immediately after the inflicted injury, but not mandatory. Generally, they can be approached by law enforcers once they have been treated and stabilized. However, do we have such infrastructure as functional hospitals or medical facilities where such victims can be rushed for treatment or admission? What we have, mostly, are private hospitals or quacky clinics where their protocol is to extort maximally with consequent fatalities where the law says they cannot treat until a police report is assigned to confirm how the injury was sustained. That is, if the whole focus is not on ‘money’ for treatment.