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Police reports, Cash or not: Doctors must now treat certain patients, according to new law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed six new Bills passed by the National Assembly into law, two of which have been met with the most hope and expectation.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, the Bills are; Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment) Amendment Act, 2017, Federal Capital Territory Water Board (Establishment) Act, 2017, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (Establishment) Act, 2017 and Federal Capital Appropriation Bill 2017.

Others are Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 and Anti-Torture Act, 2017.

The NDDC Act includes the producing and gas processing companies in the list of Agencies contributing to the Commission, in addition to the oil companies, a bid to increase funding of the Commission for the effective discharge of its duties.

Having been previously excluded, the new Act makes it explicit that the gas companies have to be included, so as to diversify sources of funding for the NDDC, to improve the economic status of the region.

The FCT Water Board Act is charged with the responsibility for providing safe, adequate and affordable water supply services to residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“It is also to collaborate with the other authorities responsible for water resources management, to secure efficient use of water resources for the conservation and protection of the water resources of the Territory and the nation,” Enang explained.

On the Institute of Cancer and Research Act, he said the bill seeks to provide National direction in cancer research, control and treatment.

The FCT Appropriation Bill accented to, would authorise the Federal Capital Territory Administration to legally provide funds out of its Statutory Revenue Fund for recurrent and capital expenditure.

The Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 and Anti-Torture Act, 2017 gained a welcome development status as it affects a larger percentage of the citizens.

The first Act makes it compulsory for medical centres to attend to patients or victims of gunshots wound and other related matters, before anything else.

The Act specifically stipulated that a person with gunshot wound shall receive immediate and adequate treatment from any hospital in Nigeria with or without initial monetary deposit.

It further stated that a person with gunshot wound shall not be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment or torture by any person or authority, including the Police and other security agencies.

Somewhat related to the Compulsory Treatment Act, the Anti-Torture Act, 2017 makes comprehensive provisions for penalising acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, and prescribes penalties for such acts.

Before now, it was commonplace for hospitals to reject gunshot wound victims without Police report and many have been left to die because they could not afford the initial deposit.

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