“El-Rufai Governor, Kaduna State orders hospitals to treat accident victims before Police Report. The Governor directed all hospitals in the State with immediate effect to start treating persons with gunshot wounds and accident victims without demanding Police Report as a basis for attention.”
Midat Joseph, Leadership Friday, April 29th, Page 20
Continuing, the Governor stated that “We consider it a gross abdication of responsibility if any hospital leaves injured patients unattended to because of the absence of Police Report. What is important is saving lives. There is no reason for an innocent citizen who has survived armed robbery and needs treatment for a gunshot wound to be denied the medical attention he requires. The hospitals can comply with reporting requirement to the Police after providing the care the patient needs.” The Governor said this is the unanimous resolution of the Kaduna State Security Council, adding that he has communicated this decision to the Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services and other concerned agencies operating in the State.
Sir, my heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved family of the Customs Officer in Port-Harcourt. This ungodly insistence on Police Report before Doctors will treat victims of gunshot has no legal basis. When I was in the legal section, Force C.I.D, Abuja, we treated this issue, during deliberations in one of the committees set up by the then Senate President David Mark with the NMA fully represented. I think what the Armed Robbery Acts says is treat and later report to the Police. Even if the person is a robbery suspect, is it not better to keep him alive to enable the Police have his profile for intelligence purposes?
ACP Henry Njoku, Commander Mopol 6, Maiduguri.
I’m sorry to learn of the death of your friend Chris the Professor of OBYG. Doctor Okezie is right in disclaiming the Doctors who would not treat bleeding emergency victims of gunshot wounds. But the experience of Doctors especially those in private Practices who have tried to live true to their calling in matters of this nature in the hands of Police have been most traumatic. This is what has shaped their attitude when confronted with such situations. We hope that this obnoxious law will be done away with at the earliest possible time.
Dr. Uchenna Okenyi, HOVAS Place Hospital, FESTAC, Lagos
Thank you for your essay, the Wing Commander is dead and the Custom Officer who bled to death, I can’t understand why some Doctors cannot use their initiative and treat a bullet wound victim and defend their action or detain the patient after treatment before calling the Police.
A.I. Olisadebe, Lagos.
The late Wing Commander Willy Ejabena was one year ahead of me at the NDA. He was a great intellectual and I confirm his death. I read your paper because you have a lot of introspective Editors and Columnists. Whatever role the dead Wing Commander was playing to add flourish and debt to your Column I will now take over in his memory. All those top Military Commanders and the tactical issues treated by them which are not classified you can come to me for discussions and clarity.
Capt. Mohammed Garba (rtd) MomyGee NDA Regular Course 14, kano.
I keep copies of your Column and read your Wednesday’s writings with a lot of expectations and am glad you have continuously educated us in various field. God will keep you and hide you under the shadow of His wings.
Feyi Akeeb Kareem, Change Makers Forum, Delta.
What are the Doctors doing to stop this? And Emma I have been reading you since your cross fire with Fani Kayode the former Minister of Aviation and the Publicity Director of Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign. Please send me all your books especially Blood on the Niger, Last Dance on the Niger, The Small Navies of the World and The Atlantic Clash of the Nigerian Biafran Navies in 1967. I will be glad to lay hands on Colonel Njoku’s classic A Tragedy Without Heroes. I was a former senior staff with Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria, Admin Manager of the Marketing Board, I retired as a Manager with Dornier Aircraft Manufacturing Group Kaduna.
Alhaji Inuwa Jibrin. Danmarina Road UNG Rimi GRA, Kaduna
Thanks Emma for all your patriotism and your intimate appraisal of our economic travails. I am presently not in the country but I have followed your expositions and I thank you and Mr. Dele Sobowale of the Vanguard for all your kind thoughts and have noted your singular considerations of my contributions to our country. Please continue to stay in touch, we shall overcome.
Dr. Idika Kalu, former Nigeri minister and World Bank Expert, State of Maryland, United States.
Your mood of writing enriches our lives. Just mentioned UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and yourself in my facebook ‘Holocaust’ and the ‘Asaba’ 1960s ordeal.
Nzom Boni, Lagos.
Sometimes the immediate reward of scholarship or activism is not praise but historical vindication by a coming generation. Take solace in the fact that you are on the side of history and humanity!
Anote Ajeluorou, the Guardian Literary Editor.