Senate proposes six-month jail term for hospitals denying emergency care

Nigeria’s Senate has passed at second reading a bill sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua that would make emergency treatment compulsory in public and private hospitals. The bill provides for a fine of up to ₦300,000, six months’ imprisonment, or both, for anyone convicted of denying emergency care. It sets deadlines for triage, stabilisation and patient transfers, and requires certified emergency-care training for healthcare workers. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, which is to report back within four weeks.