The Nigerian Senate has advanced a bill seeking to impose up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine of ₦300,000, or both on hospitals and healthcare providers found guilty of violating proposed emergency treatment standards.
The proposed legislation aims to prevent avoidable deaths caused by delays in medical attention, particularly in situations where patients are turned away, asked to make payments before receiving urgent care or referred to other facilities without proper stabilization.
Sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, who represents Katsina Central, the bill seeks to amend the National Health Act, 2014, by establishing mandatory standards for emergency treatment and patient referrals across public and private healthcare facilities.
The Senate passed the bill for second reading on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and referred it to the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) for further consideration. The committee has four weeks to report back.
Hospitals May Have 15 Minutes to Assess Emergency Patients
Under the proposed amendment, healthcare facilities licensed to provide emergency medical services would be required to begin triage and initial assessment within 15 minutes of a patient’s arrival.
Where a licensed medical doctor is unavailable, a trained and certified nurse may conduct the initial assessment.
Hospitals would also be required to commence basic stabilization measures within 30 minutes. These include administering oxygen, providing intravenous fluids, managing pain and carrying out preliminary diagnostic procedures.
Where a life-threatening condition is identified, medical personnel would be expected to begin life-saving interventions immediately. Such measures include cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management and controlling severe bleeding.
The proposed requirements are intended to establish clear timelines and reduce delays that could worsen patients’ conditions or result in preventable deaths.
Hospitals Must Arrange Referrals Without Unnecessary Delays
The bill also outlines procedures for patients who require admission or treatment beyond the capacity of the hospital they initially visit.
Where admission is necessary and a bed is available, the facility would be expected to assign one within two hours of the patient’s arrival.
If no bed is available, the hospital would be required to begin stabilization immediately and arrange a transfer to another suitable facility.
The proposed legislation further requires referral arrangements to begin within two hours of arrival, or once the patient has been assessed and is considered stable for transfer, whichever comes first.
The transfer process should ordinarily be completed within three hours, except where circumstances beyond the facility’s control prevent compliance.
Hospitals would also be required to dispatch an ambulance or arrange alternative transportation within 30 minutes of communicating a referral decision.
Emergency Care Training to Become Compulsory
Beyond penalties for violations, the bill proposes mandatory emergency care training and certification for healthcare workers involved in treating emergency patients.
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria would jointly develop a standardized national emergency care curriculum.
Healthcare workers would be required to undergo the relevant training and certification at intervals not exceeding 18 months.
The bill’s sponsor, Yar’Adua, said the proposed changes would strengthen coordination between primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities while ensuring that patients receive timely treatment regardless of their financial circumstances, social status or location.
He also cited delays in emergency obstetric care as one of the factors contributing to preventable maternal deaths in Nigeria.
Senators Raise Concerns Over Inadequate Hospital Facilities
Although several lawmakers supported the proposal, concerns were raised about whether hospitals could meet the proposed timelines given the challenges facing the healthcare system.
Senator Francis Faduyile cautioned against criminalizing healthcare professionals without first addressing shortages of doctors, oxygen cylinders, emergency equipment and adequate funding.
He questioned how medical personnel attending to multiple patients simultaneously could reasonably be held responsible for every delay.
Faduyile also noted that private healthcare facilities sometimes provide emergency treatment without receiving reimbursement, raising concerns about the financial burden of implementing the proposed requirements.
Other lawmakers, including Senate Whip Mohammed Monguno and Senator Diket Plang, supported the bill, arguing that stronger rules could reduce preventable deaths arising from road accidents, childbirth complications and other medical emergencies.
Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro also condemned the practice of hospitals demanding police reports before attending to emergency patients, stressing that saving lives should take priority.
The proposed legislation provides safeguards for healthcare practitioners unable to meet the requirements because of documented resource constraints, provided they follow the prescribed referral procedures.
Bill Is Not Yet Law
The proposed amendment is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s existing legal framework on emergency treatment. The National Health Act, 2014, already prohibits healthcare providers and facilities from refusing emergency medical treatment.
However, the Senate’s latest proposal seeks to introduce more specific timelines for assessment, stabilization, admission and referrals, alongside a higher maximum fine and mandatory emergency care training.
The bill must undergo further legislative consideration before it can become law.
If passed, it could place clearer obligations on healthcare facilities while increasing accountability for those who wilfully deny or delay emergency treatment.
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