The Senate is considering a bill proposing a fine of up to ₦300,000, six months’ imprisonment, or both for hospitals and healthcare providers that violate proposed emergency medical treatment standards.
The legislation also seeks to compel public and private hospitals to assess emergency patients within 15 minutes of arrival, begin initial stabilisation within 30 minutes and complete referrals to other facilities within three hours where necessary.
Sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, the bill seeks to amend the National Health Act, 2014, by establishing enforceable timelines for emergency assessment, treatment, admission and patient referrals.
Leading the debate during Wednesday’s plenary, Yar’Adua said the proposed amendment would address critical gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system and ensure that patients received timely, life-saving treatment regardless of their social status, financial circumstances or location.
Under the proposed legislation, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria would jointly develop and maintain a standardised national emergency care curriculum.
Healthcare workers involved in emergency medical services would also be required to undergo training and certification at intervals not exceeding 18 months.
The bill proposes that hospitals commence triage and initial assessment within 15 minutes of a patient’s arrival at the emergency department.
Where a licensed medical doctor is unavailable, a trained and certified nurse would be permitted to conduct the initial assessment.
It further requires hospitals to begin basic stabilisation measures within 30 minutes of arrival. Such measures include oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, pain relief and preliminary diagnostic procedures.
Where a patient presents with a life-threatening condition, hospitals would be required to immediately commence appropriate life-saving interventions, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management and bleeding control.
The proposed amendment also sets timelines for admitting patients and referring those who require treatment unavailable at the facility.
Hospitals would be expected to assign a bed within two hours, subject to availability.
Where no bed is available, the facility would be required to stabilise the patient and initiate referral arrangements within two hours of arrival or as soon as the patient is assessed and considered stable for transfer.
The bill also requires hospitals to begin ambulance dispatch or arrange alternative transportation within 30 minutes of deciding to refer a patient.
Yar’Adua said the proposed standards were consistent with emergency healthcare practices in countries including Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Supporting the legislation, the Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, representing Borno North, said it would help address preventable deaths arising from road accidents and maternal emergencies.
Monguno lamented that some healthcare providers neglected patients brought to their facilities in critical conditions, resulting in avoidable deaths.
He said the introduction of criminal liability for violations of emergency treatment standards would strengthen accountability and encourage healthcare facilities to respond more promptly to medical emergencies.
Under the proposed amendment, any person or healthcare facility found guilty of violating the provisions would be liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding ₦300,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
The proposal builds on Section 20 of the National Health Act, 2014, which already prohibits healthcare providers and facilities from refusing emergency medical treatment. The existing law prescribes a ₦100,000 fine, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
The proposed amendment would increase the financial penalty and introduce specific timelines for emergency assessment, stabilisation and referral.
The bill must still pass the remaining legislative stages and receive presidential assent before its provisions can become law.
