Succour came the way of would be victims of health emergencies like gunshot victims with the signing into law of the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshots Act, 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari. For the first time in Nigeria it is now covered by law for persons with gunshot wounds to access medical treatment in any hospital in the country with or without initial monetary deposit. According to the Act, a gunshot wound victim should not be subjected to any inhuman or degrading treatment or torture by any person or authority, including the police or other security agencies. Prior to the signing of this Act, most hospitals in the country denied medical treatment to gunshot victims who could not produce police reports. This led to avoidable deaths of many victims.
It is important to note that past efforts to reverse the ugly trend met with indifference with health care givers. Doctors, nurses and other professionals refused to take in emergency patients with blood stains. Police report affirming the reason behind the blood so that they do not become targets of investigation by the police and economic considerations trumped the sanctity of human life. With the Gunshot Law in place, many Nigerians can now heave sigh of relief because they can now be treated in any hospital in the country without a police report, if they are shot by armed robbers or other criminals, contrary to what obtained before. Moreover, gunshot victims can also be treated in any hospital with or without any monetary deposit.
This is good news. They say there are no good laws, but this is a good law. This is for the advancement of humanity. Consequently, we welcome the law and advise that it should be implemented immediately. We are particularly happy about the Gunshot Law because insisting on police reports before treating gunshot victims is wicked and does not align with the night to preservation of life. Life first before questions. It presumes that such victims are criminals, which is rarely the case. Even so, guity verdict is only passed in court, not in a hospital. Many hospitals either reject or leave such victims to bleed to death, while their relatives struggle to obtain police reports.
We look forward to serious sensitisation across the country so that hospitals, both public and private are sufficiently abreast of the law and its implication. This law took quite a long time coming into existence. However, it is better late than never. Now that it has been passed, we urge all hospitals to tread the path of rectitude and strictly obey its provisions (to the letter). It is the duty of the hospitals to first give any person with gunshot wounds life-saving treatment before any other thing. This law should be enforced to achieve its objective of saving the lives of gunshot victims. We say this because any law that is not enforced is not worth its name. The beauty of the legislation can only be appreciated and realised if it is fully enforced, especially after sensitisation.
Enlightenment is not optional. We will continue to emphasise it because when people will contravene the law they will plead ignorance even when ignorance is not an excuse. The police also needs to thread with care. They are not the law courts that will brand anyone a criminal. They should assist hospitals in this regard to make their work easier. A saved suspect will give police more useful tips in their crime fighting role. For these new laws to be effective, we urge the Federal Government to enlighten the public on them. The enlightenment campaign should be carried out on all major channels of mass communication in English Language, major Nigerian languages and Pidgin English. The campaign should be sustained until all Nigerians become aware of the progressive law.
We commend initiators of the Act and the National Assembly that passed it without delay. This is the kind of legislation that gives hope to citizens about a listening government. With this law in place government should go further to improve the hospitals to receive such emergencies. Also a system to alert the police to be on guard when gunshot victims are brought in should be set up without delay.
