A medical practitioner, Dr. Abib Olamitoye, has urged operators of medical facilities in Nigeria to always attend to victims of gunshots and robbery before demanding a police report.
Speaking during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday, Olamitoye noted that prioritizing treatment would save many victims from preventable deaths that often occur while waiting for clearance from the police.
Olamitoye, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ibadan Central Hospital, suggested that all medical facilities should establish a good working relationship and have the contact phone numbers of police divisions within their jurisdictions for such emergencies.
‘We need to start attending to the victims first, then demand a police report. If a victim or a relative cannot provide a police report in the process of treatment, then hospitals can call the attention of the police, since the victim is under their care and cannot escape in such a condition.
‘The patient must be kept alive first; then we can now talk about the police report, price, hospital card, and other necessary things,’ he said.