Ekiti State government has directed Hospitals in the state to receive victims of gunshots for immediate treatment without obtaining a police report.
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Oyebanji Filani, announced this in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Monday, October 30.
The statement read that the directive followed the order of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on the treatment of gunshot victims.
This, it stated, is in compliance with the provisions of the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act of 2017.
The statement, titled, ‘Approval of Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017,’ read in parts, “Gunshot injuries are generally a medical emergency where minute counts in the fight to preserve the life of the victim.
“The victim requires urgent medical attention to avoid permanent damage or death of the victim.”
It urged medical personnel, good samaritans, and sympathizers not to exercise fear of being implicated for coming to the aid of victims of gunshots.
All health facilities across the state are assured of government support and continuous collaboration for better health care service delivery, the statement clarifies.
In November 2020, a team of drunk police officers shot a resident in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital to death.
