The tragic death of Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, a bright Arise News anchor, should outrage every Nigerian. Shot during a robbery in Abuja, she was rushed to hospital, but instead of urgent care, staff allegedly demanded identification before treatment. She died waiting.
This is not the first time. Across Nigeria, accident victims and gunshot patients have been turned away or delayed while hospitals insist on deposits, ID cards, or police clearance. In those critical minutes, lives are lost.
This practice is not just heartless – it is illegal. The National Health Act (2014) states clearly: “A health care provider, health worker or health establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason.” Yet hospitals flout this law daily without consequence.
Contrast this with other countries. In the United States, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labour Act (EMTALA) makes it a federal offence to deny emergency care – even for gunshot victims. In the UK’s NHS, patients are treated immediately, while police are informed afterward. The principle is simple: save life first, ask questions later.
Nigeria inverts this logic. Bureaucracy, fear of police harassment, and financial caution come before human life. Hospitals dread being accused of aiding criminals if they treat gunshot wounds without clearance. Others worry about unpaid bills. But what value is money or paperwork when a human being is dying?
Somtochukwu’s death must mark a turning point. Government must enforce the National Health Act with real penalties for defaulters. Doctors and hospitals must be protected legally when they treat gunshot victims without police clearance. Clear national protocols must be issued: treat first, report later.
Every second counts in trauma care. By allowing bureaucracy to choke our emergency system, we are condemning Nigerians to needless deaths.
Somtochukwu’s death is more than personal tragedy – it is an indictment of a system that values procedure over people. To honour her memory, we must demand reform. Life must come first. Always.
Leave a comment