Senate Summons IGP, Health Minister, Wike Over Death Of Abuja One-chance Victim Rejected By Hospital

The Senate has summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Minister of Health, Ali Pate, and his Federal Capital Territory counterpart, Nyesom Wike, over what it described as the “avoidable death of Ms Greatness Olorunfemi, at the Maitama General Hospital”.

Citizen Olorunfemi, who was a victim of vehicle robbers known in common parlance as “one chance, bled to death after she was stabbed and thrown out of a moving vehicle, then denied medical attention by the public hospital with the excuse that there was no police report of the incident.

The action was at variance with provisions of the Gunshots Act 2017.

The Senate’s summon was sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC Cross River South).

The Senate mandated its committees on Health and Police to carry out a thorough investigation into Olorunfemi’s death and report back in two weeks time.

Gunshots Act 2017

Senator Ekpenyong had, while presenting the motion, quoted copiously from the Gunshots Act 2017.

The Act stipulates that, “As from the commencement of this Act, every hospital in Nigeria whether public or private, shall accept or receive for immediate and adequate treatment with or without Police clearance , any person with a gunshot wound.”

He also quoted Section 3 of the Act, which states “No gunshot victim shall be refused immediate and adequate treatment whether or not an initial monetary deposit has been paid.”

He equally suggested that the Senate should amend Section 13 of the Act to provide stiffer penalty for violators of the Act.

The senator said the N50,000 or five years imprisonment recommended were nothing to human lives being wasted.

In his remarks after general debate and adoption of resolutions, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the time had come to make the Police and health personnel in the country adhere to provisions of the Gunshots Act 2017 .

He said: “The death of Greatness Olorunfemi was avoidable if provisions of the extant law have been adhered to.

“Police and health care providers in the country need to safe Nigerians from such avoidable deaths.”