Reject gunshot victim, get jailed 5 years, police tell hospital staff

Following the death of a telecommunications company staff, the Nigerian Police has set a five-year jail sentence for erring hospitals that reject gunshot victims on the grounds of providing a police report.

Reports say that the staff who was shot by armed robbers was rushed to Reddington hospital Ikeja, but staff on duty allegedly rejected to treat him without a police report.

Consequently, the Lagos State Police Command, in a statement on Wednesday, warned hospital authorities not to reject gunshot victims or face the music.

The statement which was signed by Chike Oti, a Superintendent of Police, who also doubles as the Command’s spokesman, sternly warned hospital authorities, against the practice.

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“A senior engineer with an information and communications technology company, Mr. Adebayo Akinwunmi, was shot and wounded by armed robbers in his house at Ofada-Mokoloki, Ogun State.

“He was taken to a hospital in Ikeja for treatment, but was allegedly refused admission on the grounds that there was no Police report.

“The Command considers the action of the hospital as cruel; perhaps, an indication that the hospital management may be ignorant of the “Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017.

“In the light of this development, the Command wishes to inform all medical practitioners in Lagos State that the Act demands 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 gunshot wounds.”

The statement also revealed that the hospital in question treating such a patient is required to report the fact to the nearest Police station within two hours of the commencement of treatment of the wounded patient.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, has directed all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in the state to henceforth prosecute any medical practitioners who reject gunshot victims for reasons of no Police report.

“Medical doctors should note that the Act recommends a five-year-jail term for any person, hospital or authority, who stands by or omits to do his bit, which results in the unnecessary death of any person with bullet wounds,” the statement concluded.

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