Doctors offer victims free medical treatment

The Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria has directed all its members nationwide, especially in the Federal Capital Territory, to offer free treatment in emergency situations that may arise in the country.

The association said this while reacting to the Emab Plaza bombing in Abuja, which killed 21 persons and wounded over 40 others.

The National President of AGPMN, Dr. Frank Odafen, told journalists on Thursday in Abuja that the decision was part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.

He said, “In our country, we are plagued by the scourge of criminality and in emergency situations such as insurgency as witnessed yesterday (Wednesday) during the blast. We as private doctors and members of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria have deployed our members to respond to emergency situations.

“And as part of our CSR, we have told our members all over the country, especially those of us in the FCT, that any victim of the bomb blast should be treated free. Anyone, including the criminal, should be involved in medical emergency. Our treatment has no discrimination; we do not segregate whether you are an armed robber, whether you are an insurgent or whether you are a victim of their criminality, we treat everybody alike.

“Our professional oath tells us not to discriminate, irrespective of your religious inclination, social biases, political inclination, sex or gender. We treat everybody alike. But after our treatment and the people are healthy, then the security forces can come in and take care of whoever they want to take care of. But as doctors, we are not discriminatory in our attention to the wounded, to the injured and to the person that is unwell or ill.”