El-Rufai orders hospitals to treat gunshot victims before police report

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, has directed all hospitals in the state to start treating persons with gunshot wounds and accident victims before demanding police report.

Samuel Aruwan, the governor’s spokesman, disclosed this in a statement, saying the directive was part of the agreement reached during the 15th session of the state security council meeting.

The statement noted that saving lives was more critical than waiting for a formal police report and warned that any hospital that failed to abide by the decision would be held for criminal neglect.

“Lives must be saved first, before the formalities of demanding police reports from victims,” the statement read.

“After saving lives, hospitals and other agencies can start making inquiries regarding how the gunshot wounds and other injuries were sustained.

“We consider it a gross abdication of responsibility if any hospital leaves injured patients unattended to because of the absence of police report.

“What is important is saving lives. There is no reason for an innocent citizen who has survived armed robbery and needs treatment for gunshot wound to be denied the medical attention he requires.

“The hospitals can comply with reporting requirements to the police after providing the care the patient needs.

“This is the unanimous resolution of the Kaduna state security council.

“As governor, I have communicated this decision to the Kaduna state ministry of health and human services and other concerned agencies operating in the state.

“All our healthcare agencies have been advised that it will amount to criminal neglect to deny or delay critical care to such patients.”