Why Nigeria lawmakers dey propose jail term for health workers wey delay emergency treatment

Di Nigeria Senate dey propose one bill wey go land health workers for six-month jail term if dem delay emergency treatment for patients.

Di bill wey pass second reading for di floor of di plenary on Wednesday dey seek to amend di National Health Act, 2014, wey go punish doctors and nurses, hospitals and health care workers wey delay emergency treatment.

Healthcare workers fit also face penalties wey include up to six months imprisonment or dem go pay fine of ₦300,000 about $22.83 dollars.

Na Senate President Godswill Akpabio bin announce di passage during plenary afta majority of senators support am by voice vote.

Wetin dey inside di proposed bill

Dem title di proposal "A Bill for an Act to Amend di National Health Act, 2014 to Provide for Emergency Medical Treatment Standards and Referral Protocols in Healthcare Facilities and for Related Matters".

Na Abdulaziz Yar'adua wey dey represent Katsina Central sponsor di bill wey dey dey try to establish mandatory standards for hospitals and healthcare providers wey dey attend to patients wey need emergency medical attention.

For di amended proposal health workers suppose to start to treat commence emergency patients within 15 minutes wen dem bring emergency case come hospital.

Di bill want to also mandate hospitals, doctors, nurses and oda healthcare providers to start di basic ways to stabilise pesin sharp-sharp.

Dis basic ways to stabilise emergency patients include oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, pain relief and preliminary diagnostic procedures, within di first 30 minutes wey di patient reach hospital.

If medical doctors wey get licensed no dey available, oda pipo wey dey around like certified nurse fit conduct di initial assessment for di emergency patient and start treatment sharp-sharp.

Di koko of di bill na say e go help to save life especially for emergency cases wey dey related to di heart or to revive pesin, to open blocked airway for pesin wey no fit breath and to control bleeding or any condition wey be threat to life.

E no go also allow hospitals to reject emergency patients even though dia condition bad well-well.

For pipo wey need admission, di bill say make dem give hospital bed within two hours wen di patient arrive, bed space suppose dey available.

If di hospital or healthcare facility no get di capacity to admit di pesin wey need emergency, di bill say make dem start to dey revive di pesin and stabilise am fast.

Anoda tin na for dem to start di process to refer di pesin to anoda beta facility within two hours of wen di patient arrive or make dem clinically assess and try to stabilise and transfer di pesin.

Dis transfer process suppose complete within three hours wen di emergency patient come, except oda challenges dey.

Dis challenges fit be say no beta way dey to transport di patient go di beta hospital, difficulties, insecurity problem dey or oda natural conditions dey wey fit no allow dem move.

Hospitals go start to bring out ambulance or get anoda plan to transport di patient within 30 minutes wen dem take di decision to move di patient.

If di healthcare practitioners no fit do dis tins dem go document why dem no fit do am according to wetin di bill tok.