BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

The Senate is considering a proposed amendment to the National Health Act that could expose hospitals and healthcare providers to up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of ₦300,000 for failing to comply with new emergency treatment standards.

The proposed legislation seeks to make timely emergency medical care compulsory in both public and private healthcare facilities, introducing specific time limits for patient assessment, initial treatment, stabilisation and referral to other hospitals.

Sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, the bill seeks to amend the National Health Act, 2014, to address delays in emergency medical services, strengthen the training of healthcare workers and establish enforceable procedures for transferring patients who require specialised medical attention.

Leading the debate on the bill during Wednesday's plenary, Yar’Adua said the proposed amendment was intended to address critical weaknesses in Nigeria's healthcare delivery system and prevent avoidable deaths resulting from delays in receiving medical attention.

He stressed that access to emergency treatment should not depend on a patient's financial capacity, social standing, influence or geographical location.

Under the proposed provisions, hospitals would be required to commence triage and initial assessment within 15 minutes of a patient's arrival at the emergency department. Where a medical doctor is unavailable, a trained and certified nurse would be permitted to conduct the initial assessment.

The bill also proposes that hospitals begin basic stabilisation procedures within 30 minutes of arrival. Such interventions would include oxygen administration, intravenous fluids, pain management and preliminary diagnostic tests.

It further requires healthcare providers to immediately initiate life-saving procedures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management and bleeding control, once a patient's condition is identified as life-threatening.

For patients requiring hospital admission, the proposed law stipulates that a bed should be assigned within two hours, subject to availability.

Where a facility has no available bed, it would be required to stabilise the patient and initiate arrangements for transfer to another hospital within two hours of arrival, or as soon as the patient has been assessed and considered stable for transportation.

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The proposed legislation also places a 30-minute deadline on hospitals to dispatch an ambulance or arrange alternative transportation after deciding that a patient requires referral to another facility. The entire referral process is expected to be completed within three hours where necessary.

Beyond treatment procedures, the bill seeks to introduce compulsory emergency medical training and certification for healthcare workers involved in emergency care.

It proposes that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria jointly develop and maintain a standardised national emergency care curriculum, with relevant healthcare workers required to undergo training and recertification at intervals not exceeding 18 months.

Yar’Adua said the proposed reforms were consistent with emergency healthcare practices in countries such as Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The bill also provides penalties for facilities and individuals who violate the proposed standards, prescribing a fine of up to ₦300,000, imprisonment for a maximum of six months, or both, upon conviction.

Supporting the proposal, the Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, representing Borno North, said the legislation would help address preventable deaths arising from road accidents, maternal emergencies and other medical situations requiring immediate intervention.

Monguno expressed concern over cases in which healthcare providers allegedly neglect patients in critical conditions, resulting in deaths that could have been prevented through timely medical attention.

He said introducing criminal liability for violations would help strengthen accountability among healthcare providers and encourage hospitals to treat emergency cases with the urgency they require.