Africa-Press – Nigeria. Following the recent incident of snake bites in the country, the Senate has called on governments at all levels to urgently address gaps in emergency healthcare delivery by mandating the availability of minimum stocks of anti-venom and other life-saving antidotes in hospitals across Nigeria, particularly in high-risk and snake-prone areas,
It particularly urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to develop and enforce national guidelines mandating minimum stock levels of essential antidotes and emergency medicines in designated public and private hospitals in the country.
The upper legislative chamber also mandated health regulatory authorities to make the stocking of essential antidotes a mandatory requirement for the licensing, registration and renewal of accreditation of private hospitals.
These resolutions followed the consideration of a motion sponsored by Senator Idiat Adebule (APC Lagos West), through Point of Order on urgent matter of national importance during plenary drawing attention to a 26-year-old singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, popularly known as Nanya who died from a snake bite last Saturday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
She was said to have rushed herself to two different hospitals for urgent medical attention, but was reportedly left untreated due to the alleged unavailability of anti-venom at both facilities.
Senator Adebule, while presenting the motion, stressed the urgent need for the federal and state governments to guarantee adequate stocking, availability, and access to life-saving antidotes and emergency medicines nationwide.
According to her, Nigeria continues to witness an increase in medical emergencies, including snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, drug overdoses, and other forms of envenomation.
Contributing to the motion, Senator Sunday Karimi (APC Kogi West) stressed the need to prioritise states with high incidences of snakebites.
“In many parts of the country, snakebites are a common occurrence, yet our hospitals are grossly unprepared. This resolution is about saving lives and enforcing accountability,” Senator Karimi said.
Also speaking, Senator Anthony Ani (APC Ebonyi South) urged that compliance with minimum medical stock requirements be linked to hospital licensing.
“We must go beyond resolutions. Hospitals that cannot meet basic emergency care standards should not be allowed to operate,” he stated.
Similarly, Senator Titus Zam (APC Benue North-West) noted that rural dwellers are often the most affected by inadequate healthcare facilities.
“The poor and those in remote communities bear the brunt of these failures. Ensuring access to anti-venom is a matter of social justice,” he said.
The Senate, in its resolutions, also called on health regulatory authorities to ensure adequate budgetary provisions and efficient supply mechanisms for public hospitals.
It also directed the Federal Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency, NOA to embark on nationwide public sensitization campaigns on the importance of prompt hospital presentation after snakebites, poisoning, and other forms of envenomation, as well as the dangers associated with delayed medical treatment.
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and Nigerians at large, describing the incident as deeply saddening and unacceptable.
He said: “This is a loss that should never have happened. As a nation, we must do better to protect the lives of our citizens.”
For More News And Analysis About Nigeria Follow Africa-Press
