It is one thing to make a law and another for it to be properly passed across a large country. Sometimes there can be a conflict of laws, which makes it very difficult for citizens to either interpret or even know what or what not to obey. Nigeria as a developing democratic country will take its time in progressing.With these two laws and also having in mind the doctors Hippocratic Oath, medical practitioners are indecisive on what exactly to do. On the other hand, the police simply believing that an innocent person can never be the victim of such circumstance are just naïve. They still hold on to the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act even after the country’s President, Muhammadu Buhari passed out another bill Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot, which is supposed to put to rest that of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act.
The new law is also set to compel all public or private hospitals in Nigeria to immediately render adequate treatment, with or without a police clearance, to any person with a gunshot wound.
This same law further explains that a hospital doesn’t need a deposit before accepting to treat a victim of such circumstance. This means that any hospital that fails to accept such a victim just because funds are not made available before treatment is has committed an offence. The law also gives the condition of filing a report with the police within two hours of commencement of treatment.
It could be reasoned that the inability of the police to follow the current law is because the government system in which Nigeria runs still has not yet discovered an effective way of communicating laws to all police stations and citizens of the country. It’s like how most Nigerians lack proper knowledge on their rights as citizens of the country, but in this case, it is the right to life.
It was gratifying to hear the recent news that the Nigerian Police Force has spoken on the issue, and has made it clear that no police report is needed before a victim of such circumstance is saved. It is a good thing that more law enforcement agencies are coming up front to speak on the very crucial matter. Making the public aware of the law that was passed to address the situation is a huge step towards solving this problem.
The attitude of Nigerians should also be worked upon. Nigerians should stop being ignorant and find time to know what is happening in the country too.
source: Tribune
