NMA asks National Assembly to fix hospitals before jailing health workers over emergency care

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) don push back against one proposal for National Assembly to fine and imprison health workers wey refuse to treat emergency patients, saying government suppose first fix the hospitals wey e expect dem to work inside.

NMA president Prof. Afekhide Ernest Omoti make dis position for one statement on Thursday, November 5, 2026, wey e issue for Benin City. He call di proposed sanctions unjust.

Di association say e accept say patients get right to urgent care whether or not dem fit pay. But e argue say lawmakers suppose hold government to its own duties before punishing doctors and nurses.

Wetin NMA dey ask for

Omoti say di National Health Act already bar hospitals from refusing emergency treatment. For him view, di problem no be say law no dey but say enforcement weak and funding poor.

He point to Section 6 of di Act, wey set up di Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to pay for emergency medical treatment. Di fund suppose make sure say hospitals no dey carry di cost alone.

According to di NMA, dat refund no dey work well. Hospitals wey treat emergency cases, sometimes at great cost to their own thin resources, no dey get di money back.

"This creates an unsustainable situation in which hospitals are expected to provide emergency care without the necessary financial support," Omoti talk.

He argue say e no fair to make health workers and hospitals criminally liable when government never provide di resources and environment wey dem need to do di job.

Too few doctors, too little equipment

Di NMA president also raise di shortage of doctors and other health workers. He blame poor pay, hard working conditions, weak infrastructure, insecurity and heavy workloads.

Those problems, he talk, dey push Nigerian doctors and nurses abroad, including to neighbouring African countries wey get better conditions of service. Hospitals for here remain with "dangerously inadequate manpower," as di few doctors wey dey available dey handle overwhelming patient loads.

He list wetin many hospitals no get for emergencies: oxygen, essential drugs, blood and blood products, resuscitation equipment, consumables and working ambulances.

"How can we threaten health workers with imprisonment for circumstances that are substantially beyond their control?" he ask.

Di NMA urge di Senate to drop di amendment in its current form and instead tackle di funding and staffing gaps wey dey undermine emergency care.

Wetin go happen next: Di proposal dey with di Senate. Di NMA want make dem withdraw or rework am, so di next move dey with lawmakers.