THE Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, has charged hospitals in the country to prioritise saving lives above any other thing.
There have been outcries over the years for hospitals demanding police reports from gunshot and accident victims before the commencement of treatment, which has led to many of the victims losing their lives on many occasions.
But speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, Pate lamented this situation and said that the Federal Government has issued a directive to hospitals to always save lives first before making any other demands.
“Recently there have been concerns about patients who show up at the emergency facilities and police reports being asked about gunshots or accidents. That’s really unfortunate, but in all federal teaching hospitals, for instance, I was in Maiduguri at the weekend, life has to be saved first.
“Life first and we have reemphasised that. All our hospitals I believe are doing that. No person should come with an emergency, or life-threatening challenge and be made to lose their life while awaiting police report.
“Saving lives comes first and that is the direction we have given; that is what we would pursue and we hope that all hospitals including private hospitals will have this mindset that in health, it’s save lives first,” Pate said.
The Health Minister said that it is expected that states across the nation will also follow up with the Federal Government’s directive in their various hospitals. He also reiterated that private hospitals also have the obligation to follow the same directive, reminding them that as health practitioners, saving lives comes first everywhere.
He also spoke on the Federal Government’s resolve to expand health insurance in the country with the recent launching of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
Pate added that access to affordable quality health care for all Nigerians is critical on the path to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
