Nigerian lawmakers are moving to make it a crime to refuse or delay emergency treatment. A Senate bill proposes up to six months in jail, a fine of up to ₦300,000, or both for anyone convicted of denying emergency care. That covers hospitals, health facilities and individual health workers, including nurses. A similar bill in the House of Representatives proposes fines and licence suspension for hospitals, plus criminal and disciplinary action against health workers who deliberately abandon emergency patients.
Neither bill is law yet. Both have passed second reading and gone to committee. But if they pass, they would change daily practice in every emergency room, labour ward and clinic in Nigeria. Here is what nurses need to know.
The Senate bill: six months in jail
The Senate bill (SB. 759) amends the National Health Act, 2014, to set “Emergency Medical Treatment Standards and Referral Protocols in Healthcare Facilities”. It is sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (Katsina Central). It passed second reading and was referred to the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), which has four weeks to report back.
Under the bill, public and private hospitals, health facilities and health workers who violate its provisions face up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to ₦300,000, or both.
The House bill: fines and licence suspension
In the House of Representatives, a companion bill sponsored by Akin Rotimi (Ekiti), the House spokesperson, passed second reading on 4 November 2026. It was referred to the House Committee on Health Services. It proposes:
- fines, licence suspension, and possible closure or loss of licence for hospitals that refuse, delay or obstruct emergency treatment
- compensation for patients where a violation causes injury, disability or death
- criminal sanctions and professional disciplinary action for health workers who deliberately refuse to attend to, or abandon, an emergency patient
Rotimi said the National Health Act already bars hospitals from refusing emergency treatment. He argued that patients still die because of administrative delays, demands for upfront payment, bed shortages and poor referrals.
The new emergency timelines
Both bills set clear clocks for emergency care:
| Step | Time limit |
|---|---|
| Life-saving intervention once a life-threatening condition is found | Immediately |
| Triage and initial assessment | Within 15 minutes of arrival |
| Basic stabilisation | Within 30 minutes |
| Bed for patients who need admission | Within 2 hours (subject to availability) |
| Start referral if no bed | Within 2 hours |
| Ambulance or transport after referral decision | Within 30 minutes |
| Transfer completed | Within 3 hours |
What it means for nurses
- Nurses can triage. The House bill says nurses may carry out triage where no doctor is available. That formally recognises what nurses already do in many Nigerian facilities.
- Mandatory emergency training. Health workers in emergency care would need training and certification, renewed at least every 18 months. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) would jointly develop a national emergency care curriculum.
- Protection for honest shortages. Both bills protect health workers who act in good faith, document resource limits (no bed, no blood, no equipment, no staff) and follow referral procedures. The penalties target deliberate refusal and abandonment, not a nurse working in an under-equipped ward.
- Documentation becomes your defence. Record the time of arrival, triage time, your assessment, what was done, any shortage, who you escalated to and when the referral was made.
Concerns raised in the Senate
Not every lawmaker welcomed jail terms. Senator Francis Faduyile, a doctor and former president of the Nigerian Medical Association, cautioned against criminalising health professionals before fixing shortages of staff, equipment and funding. He called for a wider review of the National Health Act. Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro backed a public hearing and condemned hospitals that demand police reports before treating emergency patients. Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged federal, state and local governments to provide the resources the bill will need.
In the House, Chinedu Ogah (Ebonyi) supported the bill but urged that emergency care be linked to national health insurance so that patients are not asked for deposits.
Why now
Nigerians regularly report relatives dying after being turned away for lack of a deposit, a police report or a bed. Sponsors also pointed to Nigeria’s very high share of global maternal deaths and to road crash victims who die before stabilisation. Yar’Adua said the bill aligns Nigeria with emergency care laws in Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, the UK and the US.
What happens next
Both bills are now with health committees. A public hearing is expected, which is the best chance for nurses, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the NMCN to push for staffing, equipment and legal protection to be written in alongside the penalties. Each bill must then pass third reading, be harmonised between both chambers and be signed by the President before it becomes law.
Do you think nurses should face jail for refusing emergency care, or should the government fix staffing and equipment first? Share your view in the comments.
Sources: Vanguard; Premium Times.