Senate proposes jail, N300,00 fine for hospitals rejecting emergency patients

The Senate has proposed a bill that would impose a six-month jail term or a fine of up to N300,000 on hospitals and healthcare providers that violate emergency treatment standards. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, aims to amend the National Health Act, 2014, to establish enforceable standards for emergency medical treatment, healthcare workers’ training and patient referral procedures.

The bill mandates that public and private hospitals assess emergency patients within 15 minutes of arrival, commence initial stabilisation within 30 minutes, and complete referrals to other facilities within three hours where necessary. The proposed amendment also requires healthcare workers to undergo standardised emergency care training, with recertification intervals not exceeding 18 months.

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