LAGOS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The police in Nigeria on Friday said hospitals operating in the country should not deny medical care to accident or gunshot victims without police clearance.
No such clearance is needed before accident and gunshot victims are attended to, Edet Okon, a police spokesperson based in restive northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri said in a statement.
Okon said the force would want to correct this erroneous impression of no medical attention for gunshot or accident victims without police clearance.
According to him, the police, with its respect for the sanctity of human lives, urged all medical facilities that receive such victims to expedite treatment to save their lives.
He, however said cases of gunshots and accidents received by any hospital should, while treatment is ongoing, be immediately reported to the police for follow-up investigation and other necessary actions.
Four months ago, police chief in Lagos, Imohimi Edgal took the bull by the horns and made startling pronouncements over the vexatious issue of refusal of hospitals to treat gunshot victims before requesting for police report.
