Reps considers invoice that can droop licence of hospitals denying sufferers emergency remedy

News

By Linda Ikeji
4 November 2026, 9:31 pm

A invoice that might permit regulators to droop or revoke the working licences of healthcare services that refuse or hinder emergency remedy has handed its second studying in Nigeria’s House of Representatives. The invoice, sponsored by House spokesperson Akin Rotimi, seeks to amend the National Health Act 2014 by setting obligatory timelines for assessing, stabilising and referring emergency sufferers.

Section 20 of the prevailing Act prohibits healthcare suppliers, well being staff and services from refusing emergency medical remedy for any motive. It offers for a advantageous of ₦100,000, as much as six months in jail, or each. Despite the ban, some services have reportedly turned away emergency sufferers and directed them to different centres.

Leading the controversy throughout Wednesday’s plenary, Rotimi stated delays, administrative hurdles, calls for for upfront cost and poorly coordinated referrals continued to trigger avoidable problems and value lives. He stated the modification would make clear who’s chargeable for offering care and the way rapidly they need to act. Under the invoice, services must start triage inside quarter-hour of a affected person’s arrival and supply primary stabilisation inside half-hour. If employees determine a life-threatening situation, they must start lifesaving remedy instantly.

Hospitals with an accessible mattress must assign it to an emergency affected person inside two hours. If no mattress is obtainable, the ability must start stabilising the affected person and provoke a referral inside two hours of arrival or instantly after medical stabilisation. “Conversely, healthcare establishments that refuse, delay or obstruct emergency treatment face financial penalties, licence suspension and possible closure or withdrawal of licence for subsequent offences,” Rotimi stated.

Health staff who wilfully refuse to deal with or abandon emergency sufferers might face prison penalties {and professional} disciplinary proceedings. The invoice would additionally permit compensation to be sought by means of civil motion in opposition to a facility if a breach of the emergency remedy provisions leads to harm, incapacity or demise. It defines emergency affected person, stabilisation, referral and triage to assist services apply the foundations persistently.

“No family should lose a loved one because treatment was unnecessarily delayed, a referral was poorly coordinated, or a healthcare facility failed to discharge its responsibility,” Rotimi stated. He stated the purpose was to make the best to emergency remedy enforceable in follow by giving services clear duties from the second a affected person arrives.