Doctors Reject Six-Month Jail Term, Fine for Delayed Emergency Care

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has rejected a proposed amendment to the National Health Act seeking to impose a six-month jail term or a fine of up to ₦300,000 on healthcare professionals and facilities over delays in emergency medical treatment.

The association described the proposed legislation as punitive, arguing that doctors should not be criminally punished for failures arising from inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, insufficient medical equipment and shortages of healthcare personnel.

In a statement issued on Friday, November 6, 2026, and signed by its President, Dr Ogar Emmanuel Idoko, Secretary-General, Dr Besongngem Akotanchi, and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr Ashimom Timothy, NARD acknowledged the importance of prompt emergency care but rejected what it described as an attempt to transfer the responsibility for systemic healthcare failures to frontline medical workers.

The proposed amendment, sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, has passed second reading in the Senate. It seeks to establish mandatory timelines for emergency assessment, stabilisation, admission and referral in public and private healthcare facilities.

Under the proposal, hospitals would be required to assess emergency patients within 15 minutes of arrival, commence basic stabilisation within 30 minutes and complete referrals within three hours, subject to specified exceptions.

Facilities and healthcare providers found guilty of violating the proposed requirements could face imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of up to ₦300,000, or both.

NARD said doctors routinely work under difficult conditions, including obsolete equipment, unreliable electricity, inadequate emergency supplies, deteriorating infrastructure and severe staff shortages.

The association also criticised lawmakers for prioritising punitive measures while Nigeria continues to fall short of the 15 per cent health-sector budget allocation commitment under the Abuja Declaration.

It challenged the National Assembly to demonstrate similar urgency in providing functional emergency departments, modern diagnostic equipment, reliable ambulance services, uninterrupted electricity and adequate medical personnel.

The doctors further warned that introducing additional criminal penalties without addressing these challenges could worsen the migration of skilled healthcare professionals from Nigeria.

Although the association acknowledged that the proposed bill contains provisions recognising resource limitations, it insisted that protections for medical practitioners must be explicit, comprehensive and enforceable.

NARD called for wider consultations involving medical associations, hospital administrators and patient representatives, alongside a reconsideration of the proposed punitive provisions.

The association also warned that it would consider all lawful options, including industrial action, if lawmakers proceeded with the provisions without addressing its concerns.

The bill remains under legislative consideration and has not yet become law.