The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) have rejected a proposed bill seeking to punish healthcare workers for delays in emergency treatment.
While the NMA warned against unfair prosecution, NARD threatened a nationwide strike if the National Assembly proceeds with the proposed penalties.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, seeks to amend the National Health Act, 2014, to make emergency treatment standards compulsory in public and private hospitals.
It proposes a six-month jail term, a fine of up to ₦300,000 or both for healthcare providers found guilty of violating the requirements.
Under the proposal, hospitals must assess emergency patients within 15 minutes, begin basic stabilisation within 30 minutes and arrange referrals within specified timelines.
However, the doctors argued that poor hospital facilities, inadequate staffing, unreliable electricity and shortages of medical supplies could make compliance difficult.
NARD described the proposed punishment as unfair, saying, “It is unacceptable to punish doctors for the consequences of a healthcare system that successive governments have failed to adequately fund, equip and staff.”
The association also warned that the proposed legislation could worsen the migration of medical professionals from Nigeria.
The NMA said criminal liability must distinguish between deliberate professional misconduct and failures caused by circumstances beyond healthcare workers' control.
“There is an important difference between a healthcare worker who deliberately abandons a patient despite having the capacity and resources to provide emergency care, and one who is unable to provide a particular intervention because the necessary equipment, personnel, medicines or infrastructure are unavailable,” it said.
The bill passed its second reading in the Senate on Wednesday and was referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary and Primary Health for further consideration and a public hearing.
NARD said it would consider all lawful options, including industrial action, if lawmakers proceeded with the proposed provisions.
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