The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, has ordered hospitals in the country to prioritise saving lives above anything else.
This comes in response to concerns over the years that hospitals have been demanding police reports from gunshot and accident victims before commencing treatment, which has led to many of the victims losing their lives.
Pate gave the directive on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, stating that the Federal Government has issued a directive to hospitals to always save lives first before making any other demands.
“Recently, there have been concerns about patients who show up at the emergency facilities and police reports are being asked about gunshots or accidents. That’s really unfortunate, but in all federal teaching hospitals, for instance, I was in Maiduguri at the weekend; life has to be saved first,” Pate said
“Life comes first and we have reemphasised that. All our hospitals, I believe, are doing that. No person should come with an emergency or life-threatening challenge and be made to lose their life while awaiting a police report.
“Saving lives comes first and that is the direction we have given; that is what we would pursue and we hope that all hospitals, including private hospitals, will have this mindset that in health, it’s save lives first.”
The Health Minister also stated that it is expected that states across the nation will also follow up with the Federal Government’s directive in their various hospitals.
He also reiterated that private hospitals also have the obligation to follow the same directive, reminding them that, as health practitioners, saving lives comes first everywhere.
With the National Health Insurance Authority’s (NHIA) recent launch, Pate also discussed the federal government’s commitment to expanding health insurance in the nation.
Access to affordable, quality health care for all Nigerians is critical on the path to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Pate added.