I am a Medical Doctor in General Practice. Once in a while I come across patients who report with gunshot wounds as a result of armed robbery attacks. I usually refer them without treatment out of fear of being arrested by the Police. However, a colleague recently informed me that doctors can treat gun -shot wounds. Kindly educate me on the current position of the law regarding treatment of gun- shot wounds. Do I need a police clearance before treating a case of gun shot?
Dr Tony (by SMS)
According to Section 1 of the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017, all hospitals in Nigeria shall accept and treat without a police clearance any person with a gunshot wound. In the same section, the law provides that all victims with gunshot wounds shall be treated without a request for initial monetary deposits and such persons shall not be victims of any inhuman or degrading treatment. Furthermore, a hospital that receives any person with a gunshot wound is enjoined to make a report to the nearest police station within two hours of treatment, failure to do this attracts a fine of N100,000 and every doctor concerned with the treatment is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or 6 months imprisonment or both.
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