The National Human Rights Commission has warned hospitals and medical doctors to stop rejecting accident victims or people with medical conditions just because they do not have the initial cash deposit as at the time they were brought to the hospital.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe who issued this directive in Abuja when members of Kwande Sisters Foundation paid an advocacy visit to the Commission recalled that the Commission upon receipt of complaints about hospitals who allegedly detain patients who could not defray their bills condemned such acts as not being in conformity with human rights norms.
Prof. Angwe, however, noted that hospitals in Nigeria have their constraints especially in the area of provision of medical facilities and drugs; “but despite these challenges, hospital authorities are under an obligation to respect the rights of their patients irrespective of their status in the society while government is urged to step up action to support the health institutions to effectively discharge their responsibilities.
Against this background, the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission called on the members of the public to be vigilant and report any hospital or medical personnel who refuse to admit and treat sick persons on the account that no advance cash deposit was made for the treatment of the patients. On the main purpose for which the Foundation visited the Commission which borders on the plights of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within and outside camps in Benue state, the Executive Secretary commended the women of the foundation for lending their voice and speaking up for these vulnerable group who for no cause of theirs have been exposed to human rights violations like rape, lack of access to education for their children and medical care.
He promised to partner with the foundation to reach out to other relevant agencies of government like the National Refugees Commission and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) towards ensuring that the plights of IDPs especially children and women are ameliorated.
In her remarks, the President of the Foundation, Mrs. Juliet Wombo said, “the purpose of our visit is to discuss the recent killings in Benue state by unknown herdsmen and the consequent suffering of the internally displaced families”.
By: Albert Akota
Peoples Daily News
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