Nigeria’s National Assembly has proposed tougher penalties for hospitals and healthcare workers who refuse to treat patients requiring emergency medical attention, including possible imprisonment, financial fines and the suspension or withdrawal of operating licences.
The development follows legislative efforts in both chambers of the National Assembly to strengthen the enforcement of patients’ rights under the National Health Act, 2014, amid concerns over preventable deaths linked to delays in accessing emergency healthcare.
The proposed amendments seek to ensure that patients receive urgent medical attention regardless of their financial status, social background or ability to make an upfront payment.
Under the proposed measures before the Senate, hospitals and healthcare providers found guilty of violating emergency treatment standards could face a fine of up to ₦300,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
Separately, a bill before the House of Representatives proposes stricter sanctions against healthcare facilities that deliberately refuse, delay or obstruct emergency treatment, including the suspension or withdrawal of their operating licences.
The proposals also introduce specific timelines for responding to medical emergencies. Hospitals would be required to assess patients within 15 minutes of arrival and commence basic stabilisation within 30 minutes.
Where a patient’s condition is life-threatening, immediate interventions, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management and bleeding control, would be required.
The proposed legislation further stipulates that patients requiring admission should be assigned available hospital beds within two hours. Where a facility lacks the capacity to admit a patient, it would be expected to stabilise the individual and initiate referral arrangements.
Hospitals making referrals would also be required to arrange ambulance dispatch or alternative transportation within 30 minutes of the referral decision, with transfers expected to be completed within three hours, subject to circumstances beyond their control.
The bills additionally propose criminal penalties and professional disciplinary action against healthcare workers who deliberately abandon emergency patients or refuse to attend to them.
However, provisions are being considered to distinguish deliberate negligence from genuine resource limitations, with protections for healthcare workers who act in good faith, document their constraints and follow the prescribed referral procedures.
The proposed amendments have passed second reading in their respective chambers and are expected to undergo further legislative scrutiny.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening accountability within Nigeria’s healthcare system and ensuring that no patient loses their life because of unnecessary delays, administrative procedures or demands for payment before urgent medical attention is provided.
