Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017; An Appraisal

Abstract

Victims of gunshot in Nigeria have for a long time found it very difficult to get prompt medical attention in healthcare centres all over the country, this is occasioned by the practice of demanding for a police report from injured persons before they can be given medical attention, not even first aid treatment is administered until a police report is obtained. This has caused hardship to the Nigerian populace and resulted in the loss of lives under circumstances where the deaths could have been averted. On December 29, 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari assented to six Bills of the National Assembly, one of which was the Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017, the Act makes provisions for the compulsory treatment and care for the victims of gunshots. This article examines the plight of gunshot victims prior to the enactment of this Act as well as the expected effect of the Act.