# Nigerian lawmakers propose six-month jail term for doctors, nurses who delay emergency treatment

> Nigerian lawmakers pass bill to jail doctors and nurses who delay emergency treatment for up to six months.
- Title: Nigerian lawmakers propose six-month jail term for doctors…
- Summary: Nigerian lawmakers pass bill to jail doctors and nurses who delay emergency treatment for up to six months. Nigerian lawmakers passed a bill requiring…
- Keywords: nigerian lawmakers, senate, national health act, emergency treatment, six-month jail term, healthcare workers, hospital delays, emergency medical treatment, police report, patient death, Premium Times Nigeria
- Source: Premium Times Nigeria — https://premiumtimesng.com/health/health-news/922799-nigerian-lawmakers-propose-six-month-jail-term-for-doctors-nurses-who-delay-emergency-treatment.html
- Author: Abdulqudus Ogundapo
- Published: 2026-11-04T22:16:41+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: nigerian lawmakers, senate, national health act, emergency treatment, six-month jail term, healthcare workers, hospital delays, emergency medical treatment, police report, patient death, news, politics
## Senate passes bill
The Senate passed a bill to amend Nigeria’s National Health Act with a six-month jail term for healthcare workers who delay emergency treatment.
## Bill details
The bill requires hospitals to treat emergency patients within 15 minutes and begin stabilisation within 30 minutes of arrival.
## Sponsor and key provisions
Abdulaziz Yar’adua (APC, Katsina Central) sponsored the bill, which mandates immediate life-saving interventions and prohibits hospital rejections of emergency patients.
## Patient death cases
Several patients died after being denied emergency treatment due to lack of police reports or bed space at hospitals.
## Bayo Ohu case
In September 2009, journalist Bayo Ohu was shot in Lagos and died after being denied treatment because his relatives lacked a police report.
## Moradeun Balogun case
In November 2019, podcast host Moradeun Balogun was stabbed in Lagos and died after being denied treatment due to lack of a police report.
## Ebenezer Ayeni case
In 2021, music producer Ebenezer Ayeni was shot in Ibadan and died after being denied treatment due to lack of bed space at hospitals.
## Greatness Olorunfemi case
In October 2.
## Other cases
An unidentified boy died after being denied treatment at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi due to lack of bed space.
## Bill’s impact
The bill aims to address patient deaths by establishing mandatory timelines for emergency treatment and referral protocols.
## Patient admission timelines
For admitted patients, hospitals must assign a bed within two hours of arrival, or begin resuscitation and referral within two hours.
## Referral process
Hospitals must complete patient transfers within three hours of arrival, except when external circumstances prevent compliance.
## Healthcare worker protections
Healthcare workers can document inability to meet timelines due to resource shortages and report to management.
## Bill’s significance
The bill responds to patient deaths caused by hospital delays and aims to improve emergency care standards in Nigeria.
## Key takeaway

Nigerian lawmakers passed a bill requiring hospitals to treat emergency patients within 15 minutes and imposing six-month jail terms for healthcare workers who delay treatment.