Nigerian Senate Passes Bill On Compulsory Treatment And Care Of Gunshot Victims

Nigerian Senate Passes Bill On Compulsory Treatment And Care Of Gunshot Victims

Today, the Nigerian Senate passed the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots Bill. The Bill, which was sent to the Senate for Concurrence, seeks to establish a law that ensures that victims of gunshot wounds receive necessary treatment from medical workers and assistance from security agencies.

Speaking on the passage of the Bill, the
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, stated that
not every victim of a gunshot wound is a
criminal, hence, it is important that a legal
framework be put into place to avoid
unnecessary loss of lives.

"By the passage of this Bill, the Senate has
moved to ensure that every hospital in
Nigeria, both public and private, must accept
to treat victims of gunshot wounds without
any clearance from the police. What we have
done is to ensure that everyone is entitled to
medical treatment, irrespective of the cause
of the shooting. We should reserve judgment
for the criminal justice system, and leave
healthcare for the medical professionals."

The Compulsory Treatment and Care of
Victims of Gunshots Bill also ensures that
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 treatment.

Additionally, the Bill mandates that no person
with gunshot wounds shall be refused
immediate and adequate treatment by any
hospital in Nigeria whether or not initial
monetary deposit is paid.

This brings the total number of Bills passed
by the 8th Senate since June 9th​,​ 2015 , to
108 Bills.

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