The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, says hospitals in the country must prioritise saving lives making other demands, especially police reports.

Pate lamented that the demand for police reports from gunshot and accident victims by hospitals has led to the loss of lives in the country.

The minister, however, stated that the Federal Government has issued a directive to hospitals to always save lives first before making any other demands.

He said this while speaking on Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily, on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

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Pate said: “Recently there have been concerns about patients who show up at the emergency facilities and police reports being asked about gunshots or accidents. That’s really unfortunate, but in all federal teaching hospitals, for instance, I was in Maiduguri at the weekend, life has to be saved first.

“Life first and we have re-emphasised that. All our hospitals I believe are doing that. No person should come with an emergency, or life-threatening challenge and be made to lose their life while awaiting police report.

“Saving lives comes first and that is the direction we have given; that is what we would pursue and we hope that all hospitals including private hospitals will have this mindset that in health, it’s save lives first.”

The minister further urged state governments to follow up with the federal government’s directive in their various hospitals, adding that private hospitals also have the obligation to adhere to the same directive.

The Star