Medical experts have asked aggrieved patients with strong cases of rejection by doctors or hospitals to write to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nigerian Medical Association for investigation and disciplinary action where necessary.
The experts noted that it is unethical for a doctor to reject a patient who has come to seek healthcare services, stressing that if a doctor or hospital lacks the capacity to treat a patient, such a doctor or hospital should refer the patient to a higher hospital, rather than reject the patient.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, there have been reported cases of rejection of patients by hospitals and medical personnel. The hospitals and the doctors cite fear of contracting COVID-19 as the reason.
This has led to avoidable deaths of patients as emergency cases are also turned down.
Recall that, on May 31, 2020, the death of Mr. Obiefula Anya, a 61-year-old Lagos resident who died of pneumonia after he was allegedly rejected by some hospitals in the state for fear of COVID-19 infection.
A Professor of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Mike Ogirima, said that it is a grievous offense for a doctor to reject a patient.
Prof. Ogirima, who is a former president of the NMA, explained, “It is a grievous offense for a doctor in public service to reject a patient. In private, it is even more sensitive because the hospital owner has established it, not for professional services alone but also for commercial gain.
“So, a doctor must see the patient first and if he does not have the facility to handle the patient, he should refer the patient to a higher hospital.
“The doctor must show empathy and not reject a patient. There must be a reason for rejecting a patient. If the capacity is not there, they should refer and not reject — except if the doctor is attending to a patient and there is friction between the doctor and that patient and the doctor considers his life not safe with the patient.
“In that case, he may back out professionally and may refer to the patient. You know that patient fight is normal. Maybe out of provocation, the patient attacks you; if you are not safe under that circumstance, you may opt-out and refer the patient to another hospital. There are several cases of patients attacking doctors.”
Continuing, Ogirima said, “If a patient is rejected, the patient has the right to report the doctor to MDCN or the authority under which the doctor is working and such an institution will investigate the matter.
“If the cause is from the doctor, the doctor can be subjected to internal disciplinary action.
