NASS warns hospitals: Treat emergencies or lose license, face jail
The National Assembly has warned all hospitals nationwide against delaying or denying emergency care, backing a bill to amend the 2014 National Health Act that passed second reading in both chambers Wednesday. Any hospital or practitioner who refuses emergency treatment faces losing their medical license, a ₦300,000 fine, up to six months imprisonment, or both.
The legislation, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar'Adua (Senate) and Representative Akin Rotimi (House), explicitly bans public and private hospitals from demanding advance payment, police reports, or administrative clearance before treating emergency patients. An emergency patient is defined as anyone whose vital signs indicate urgent intervention is needed to prevent deterioration, disability, or death.
Senator Yar'Adua said the current Act lacks enforcement timelines and procedures, allowing preventable deaths from road accidents and maternal emergencies. Senate Whip Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North) backed the bill, noting some providers neglect emergency cases with fatal consequences.
The bill still requires further legislative steps before becoming law. But the signal is clear: the era of "deposit first, treatment later" in Nigerian emergency rooms is being legislated out of existence.
When you or a loved one arrives at an ER unconscious or critical, will you know to demand immediate treatment regardless of payment ability—or will hospitals still find ways to delay?