The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has issued a stern warning to hospitals across Nigeria, emphasising the importance of prioritising saving lives above all other concerns.
The move comes in response to growing public criticism of hospitals that have been known to delay or deny treatment to emergency cases, particularly those involving gunshot wounds until police reports are provided. This delay has resulted in the tragic loss of many lives.
During an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast program, Prof. Pate expressed the federal government’s commitment to addressing this issue and ensuring that patients receive timely and life-saving medical care.
He stressed that a directive has been issued to all hospitals to put life-saving efforts at the forefront of their actions before requiring any other documentation or reports.
Prof. Pate stated, “Recently, there have been concerns about patients who show up at emergency facilities and police reports being asked about gunshots or accidents. That’s really unfortunate, but in all federal teaching hospitals, for instance, life has to be saved first.”
He further elaborated, “Life first and we have reemphasized that. All our hospitals, I believe, are doing that. No person should come with an emergency or a 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 all hospitals, including private ones, will have this mindset that in health, it’s lives first.”
Prof. Pate urged states across the nation to follow the federal government’s directive within their hospitals and emphasised that private hospitals must also adhere to the same life-saving principles.
He underscored that saving lives should be the primary concern for healthcare providers everywhere in the world, and Nigeria should be no exception.
Additionally, Prof. Pate shared the federal government’s plans to expand health insurance in the country with the recent launch of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
News About Nigeria reports that he highlighted the critical importance of providing affordable, high-quality healthcare for all Nigerians to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The minister had previously revealed that 90 percent of Nigerians currently lack adequate access to healthcare services, reinforcing the urgency of these reforms.
