Treat victims first, IG tells doctors

DO BOTH...WHILE THE DOCTOR IS TREATING THE PERSON, A WORKER MUST BE GIVEN A POLICE NUMBER TO CALL. MAKE SUCH NUMBERS AVAILABLE AT EVERY HOSPITAL. THE DOCTOR DOES NOT NEED TO MAKE THE CALL HIMSELF.

This is a welcome development from the IG, even though a bit too late for the lives that have already been lost. I would also recommend that both the Nigerian Medical association and the Federal Ministry of Health take one step further by mandating all hospitals to conspicuosly display this message in their waiting rooms.

I am inscensed. It took the death of a journalist for the police to address this issue. what a terrible state of affairs.

A country with no sense of direction. Lawmakers need to step up to the plate, by following up on IGP's leadership to enacting laws that will effectively make it a criminal action for doctors to refuse to treat victims of robberies and motor accidents. Enough is enough. Nigerian lawmakers does not understand their role as legislators and it is a pity we have illiterates as representatives of the people.

What happens where some insist that the doctor must not call the police and threaten a reprisal?

So they are just realizing one of the many inconsistencies in govt policies. I know of a doctor that slept in police custody for days for treating a patient with gun shot injuries in one of our teaching hospitals. The hospital went through hell to secure his release. Who now takes responsibility for that. One man comes and signs another song. Its time people are held accountable for what they do. Ignorance is not acceptable.

THE TRUTH IS, How many Nigerian Doctors fit treat Gun shot wound?,They reject victims because they simply don,t have any idea on what to do, except the speacialists hospitals where there is only one doctor on duty.In America,we see people with gun shot wounds to the head daily,89% survive out of good medical attention.If them shoot you for leg for Nigeria ,You think say u go survive,This leads us back to ASUU and all fake professors and lecturers in Nigeria.

Idont believe the NPF.The Nigerian Red Cross should take up the challenge by organising a Nationwide massive awareness campign in all Hospitals. This should be done in conjunction with the NPF,Journalist, the Electronic and Print media.

Idont believe the NPF.The Nigerian Red Cross should take up the challenge by organising a Nationwide massive awareness campign in all Hospitals. This should be done in conjunction with the NPF,Journalist, the Electronic and Print media.

Shame onto you nigerian police. After many souls hv been lost, you bunch of criminals realize ur wet brains are working God will judge u all.

"Most times, the medical practitioners refuse to treat such patients because they are frequently harassed and intimidated by lower ranking police officers who barely know the rules." So whose responsibility is it to inform, train and discipline these lower ranking police officers, doctors? Ridiculous! When a doctor or his colleague has been harassed a couple of times for treating a gun-shot victim by the so-called lower ranking officers, do you think he would be willing to lose his life or his livelihood due to such "indiscretion". The IG should be more responsible and take proactive steps about this issue.

There should be a police/hospital liason officer for every region so that contact can be made easily.....

I'wld rather commend d IG on this cos i believe 'itz never 2 late to turn back no matter hw far u v gone on a wrong route'. He should also go a step further by organising an awareness campaign with mayb the government hospitalz 4 a start nd later d private clinic. Good one i must say cos only GOD knwz who might have been d next.

I think the IG is simply absolving the police, I'm a Medical practitioner and Doctors are usually incarcerated, battered or fined heavily when the police discovers they treated gun-shot wounds without their permission (One of the many rules they create to extort the citizenry). As the IG rightly said there is no such rule, however, how many rules do the police abide by? Are there any law abiding police officers in Nigeria? Does any Nigerian police officer respect the right to life? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves.

Simple problem, simple solution. Clearly our "problems" in Nigeria do not require "rocket science" solutions. Imagine how long it has taken Nigeria to profer a solution to this "gunshot/doctor-treatment/police" discrepancy?

Thank you ONOVO for providing a lasting solution to this problem, but we have so many problems with the police that you should help, firstly you have to provide a free easy telephone number for people in need of police services. secondly he should not allow a situation where the lives of people a kept in the hands of criminals,by removing any police man or woman that was found wanting in his or her duties,by so doing he will restore sanity and trust to N.P.F, More grease to your elbow.

Is there a law in place to that effect?? All these are just word of mouth to soothe the current yearning of the people!

@ bibiking1.... true talk. i hope the thing come to reality

Onovo and the entire Nigerian Police force are disgrace to the Nation and should be ashamed of them selves. The crime rate in the Country has got to epidemic proportion that every body is so scared to point that the next minute is unpredictable. A lot of innocent people with gunshot wounds and accident victims has lost their lives because of Hospitals and Doctors refusal to treat them for fear of reprisals from the police force. It is a very short sighted mentality for Hospitals to ask for Police report when victims are loosing blood and every seconds is very critical to the survival of the victim. The Nigeria Police are cowards and very weak. Arm robbers rob banks and homes at will with out any challenge from Police. I subscribe to Babagida's idea of having State Police and not federal Police. With State Police system, Policing will be more professional, effective and security in the Country will be guaranteed. The Country should maintained and face the Arm forces, "Army, Navy and Air force. Live the Police force to the States and Local Government.

There are so many laws the police have created themselves. Is there any law compelling police to stand on the main roads and at check points collecting 20 naira from commuters?. Every gun shot victim is deemed a criminal by the police. How many policemen have clear understanding/ability to interprete the law. They interprete it to suit thier circumstances and needs.

is so saddening to hear the police ig saying this. thank God ihave had the opportuity of working in a heaith coganization, you see when you attend to the patient and request for police report they wont give, so the hospital deviced a means, no police report no treatment. i pray the hospitals will put this into practice, cos to change something that has been going on before in the health sector will take the grace of God. i just pray for a better Nigeria.

@Prince and Prince of USA 1, I take exception to your comment. In 2004, I was attacked on the head in front of my house by some armed robbers in Ogudu, Lagos. I was taken to the nearest hospital-specialist- that night and my head was sutured by a medical doctor. That same night, a man who was hit on his leg by the same set of hoodlums was also treated by the same doctor. The hospital did not ask me to go for a police report or something. I even advised the doctor to travel abroad and he told me that he has plans for Republic of Ireland.Nigerian doctors are very good and probably some of the best in the world. Here in Canada we have so many of them who came over from S.A.,Australia and Europe and we also have them in the States.

Why are we still making useless arguments.Lets see all the rules the police are meant to obey and if they do comply? 1.You are not required to have a permit to organise a demonstration,yet all the IG's always say they wont give permmision.This is despite constitutional guarrantee and a High court judgement affirming it;Okiro said he would appeal! 2.All IG's have said ALL CHECK POINTS ARE ILLEGAL! I wont say more! 3.Stop paying bribes or giving them 20naira.No comment 4.No private individual are entitled to police orderlies apart from specified High ranking government officials. Please take a look outside your car window and answer! 5.Police have no right asking for proof of ownership,import duty certificate,CMR,Road worthiness certificate(please dont argue,it's the VIO or FRSC thats tasked with that!) So which one have the police EVEN ATTEMPTED TO OBEY and we have people of low intelligence talking about negligent health workers? Am I supposed to be shot in the first place if not the police cannot do their duty? Even worse is that at the end of the day the police is the one doing most of the shooting and some **** is saying I should stand in the way of their aim? My friend go and talk about something else!