The senate on Today, at plenary summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the FCT minister, Nyeson Wike and Minister of Health, Ali Pate over the avoidable death of Ms. Greatness Olorunfemi at the Maitama General Hospital last week Tuesday.
It could be recalled that Greatness Olorunfemi fell victim of one chance criminals in Abuja last week Tuesday where she was stabbed severally in the vehicle she boarded and thrown out in her pool of blood.
She was said to be immediately rushed to the Maitama District General Hospital by good samaritans but Doctors and Nurses at the facility allegedly refused to attend to her as they requested for a Police report before she can be admitted.
Disturbed by the sad development , the Senate through a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong ( APC, Cross River South) , mandated the senate committees on Health and Police to carry out discrete investigation on Olorunfemi’s death and report back to the house in two weeks time.
It specifically mandated the joint committees to summon the Inspector-General of Police, the FCT Minister and his counterpart in the Heath Ministry to appear before it for explanations on why Olorunfemi bled to death without being attended to in violation of the extant law provided for by gunshots Act 2017.
The red chamber also mandated its committees on Health, Police Affairs and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
Senator Ekpenyong had while presenting the motion quoted the gunshots Act 2017 which states thus; “As from the commencement of this Act, every hospital in Nigeria whether public or private, shall accept or receive for immediate and adequate treatment with or without Police clearance any person with a gunshot wound “.
He also quoted section 3 of the Act which states that “No gunshot victim shall be refused immediate and adequate treatment whether or not an initial monetary deposit has been made” .
He added that senate needs to amend section 13 of the Act for stiffer penalty against violators of the Act, saying N50,000.00 or five years imprisonment recommended, were nothing to human lives being wasted.
In his remarks after general debate on the motion and adoption of resolutions, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the time has come to make the Police and health personnel in the country adhere to provisions of the gunshots Act 2017 .
“The death of Greatness Olorunfemi was avoidable if provisions of the extant law have been adhered to.
“Police and health care providers in the country need to save Nigerians from such avoidable deaths”, he noted.