The Senate has moved to introduce tougher penalties for hospitals and healthcare providers that fail to provide timely emergency medical treatment, proposing a six-month jail term, a fine of up to ₦300,000, or both, for violations of new patient-care standards.
The proposed legislation, which seeks to amend the National Health Act of 2014, would compel public and private hospitals to assess emergency patients within 15 minutes of arrival and commence initial stabilisation within 30 minutes.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, was debated during Wednesday’s plenary as lawmakers expressed concern over preventable deaths linked to delays in emergency medical attention across the country.
Leading the debate, Yar’Adua said the amendment was designed to address critical weaknesses in Nigeria’s healthcare system and guarantee prompt medical intervention regardless of a patient’s financial status, social standing or location.
Under the proposed law, hospitals licensed to provide emergency care must begin patient assessment within 15 minutes of arrival. Where a medical doctor is unavailable, a properly trained and certified nurse may conduct the initial assessment.
The legislation also requires healthcare facilities to commence basic stabilisation procedures, including oxygen administration, intravenous fluids, pain relief and preliminary diagnostic examinations, within 30 minutes.
For patients facing life-threatening conditions, immediate interventions such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management and bleeding control would become mandatory once the emergency is identified.
Yar’Adua warned that failure to comply with the proposed standards could attract criminal sanctions.
“A person or health facility that contravenes any provision of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding ₦300,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six (6) months, or both,” he stated.
The bill further proposes that emergency patients requiring admission must be allocated hospital beds within two hours, subject to availability.
Where beds are unavailable, the affected facility would be required to stabilise the patient and initiate referral arrangements within two hours of arrival or as soon as the patient is medically fit for transfer.
Hospitals would also be required to dispatch an ambulance or arrange alternative transportation within 30 minutes of deciding to refer a patient.
The proposed measures are intended to prevent situations where critically ill patients are left unattended or experience dangerous delays while being transferred between hospitals.
Beyond emergency response times, the bill seeks to introduce compulsory training and certification for healthcare professionals involved in emergency treatment.
Yar’Adua said the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria would jointly develop a standardised national emergency care curriculum.
Under the proposal, relevant healthcare workers would undergo periodic training and certification at intervals not exceeding 18 months.
The senator maintained that the reforms were consistent with international emergency healthcare practices, citing Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Supporting the legislation, Senate Whip Mohammed Monguno, representing Borno North, lamented the loss of lives resulting from delayed medical intervention, particularly following road accidents and maternal emergencies.
He argued that some healthcare providers had failed to respond promptly to critically ill patients, contributing to deaths that could potentially have been prevented through timely treatment.
Monguno said introducing enforceable standards and criminal penalties would strengthen accountability and compel healthcare facilities to take emergency cases more seriously.
The proposal comes amid persistent public concerns over delayed treatment, inadequate emergency facilities and the difficulties encountered by patients seeking urgent medical assistance.
However, the proposed penalties are not yet law and would only become enforceable after the bill completes the required legislative process and receives presidential assent.
If enacted, the amendment would impose legally enforceable emergency response standards on healthcare facilities, marking a significant step towards reducing preventable deaths and strengthening patients’ access to life-saving medical treatment in Nigeria.
