The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, has urged hospitals across the nation to place the preservation of lives as their foremost priority, above all other considerations.
Over the years, there have been widespread concerns regarding hospitals requiring police reports from victims of gunshot wounds and accidents prior to administering treatment, resulting in the loss of many lives in various instances.
However, during an interview on Channels Television’s “Sunrise Daily” on Wednesday, Pate expressed his distress over this situation and revealed that the Federal Government has issued a directive to hospitals, emphasizing the imperative of prioritizing life-saving actions before requesting any other documentation or information.
“Recently there have been concerns about patients who show up at the emergency facilities and police reports 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.”
“Life 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 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,” Pate said.
The Health Minister emphasized that it is anticipated for states across the country to align with the Federal Government’s directive within their respective healthcare facilities. He further underscored that private hospitals are equally bound by this directive, underscoring that prioritizing life-saving actions should be the primary commitment for healthcare professionals everywhere.
In addition, he discussed the Federal Government’s commitment to broadening health insurance accessibility in the nation, which was highlighted by the recent launch of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). Pate emphasized that ensuring affordable and high-quality healthcare access for all Nigerians is a crucial step toward realizing Universal Health Coverage (UHC).