The Senate on Tuesday called on state governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration to set up coordinated emergency referral and response systems connecting public and private hospitals, amid rising concerns over preventable deaths caused by poorly managed medical emergencies.
Lawmakers said such a system would guarantee swift access to life-saving drugs, especially in emergencies like snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, and drug overdoses, where delays are often deadly.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule (APC, Lagos West), titled “Urgent Need for the Federal and State Governments to ensure adequate stocking, availability, and access to life-saving antidotes and emergency medicines in Public and Private Hospitals across Nigeria.”
The motion was triggered by widespread public anger over the death of Abuja-based singer Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly died after a snakebite due to delays in accessing antivenom.
News of Nwangene’s death gained traction over the weekend after her choir confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement signed by its Music Director, Sam Ezugwu.
Reports alleged that she sought emergency treatment at two hospitals but was not attended to because antivenom was unavailable.
The management of the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, where she was later taken, however stated that its medical team made determined efforts to save her, but those efforts did not succeed.
While presenting the motion, Adebule said Nigeria was witnessing a troubling increase in emergency cases that require immediate medical attention, adding that gaps in hospital readiness were resulting in unnecessary loss of lives.
“Nigeria continues to record increasing cases of medical emergencies, including snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, drug overdoses, and other forms of envenomation, all of which require the immediate administration of specific antidotes and emergency medicines in both public and private hospitals to prevent avoidable deaths and irreversible health complications,” she said.
She added, “We also note with grave concern the tragic and avoidable death of Miss Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly died following a snakebite in Abuja, thereby revealing serious gaps in emergency preparedness and antidote availability within public and private hospitals in Nigeria.”
The senator further noted that the World Health Organisation categorises snakebite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease and emphasises the need for timely access to safe and effective antivenoms, particularly in countries like Nigeria where such cases are prevalent.
Adebule also said the Senate was worried that many public and private hospitals across the country either do not stock essential life-saving antidotes such as antivenoms and anti-toxins or keep inadequate supplies, resulting in dangerous treatment delays, unnecessary referrals, and avoidable deaths.
She stated, “We are concerned that victims of snakebites and other poisoning emergencies are frequently compelled to move from one public hospital to a private hospital, or vice versa, in search of antidotes during the critical ‘golden hour,’ thereby substantially increasing mortality and morbidity rates.”
After deliberations, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, to ensure the procurement, quality assurance, proper storage, and nationwide distribution of safe, effective, and affordable antivenoms and other vital antidotes, with special focus on high-risk areas.
Lawmakers also appealed to state governments, through their ministries of health and hospital management boards, to immediately conduct audits of public and private hospitals to determine compliance with antidote stocking and emergency preparedness requirements.
In addition, the Senate directed relevant professional and regulatory bodies to strengthen emergency response guidelines and mandate regular training for healthcare workers on the correct use of antidotes.
It further called on health regulatory authorities to make the availability of essential antidotes a compulsory condition for licensing, registration, and renewal of accreditation for private hospitals, while ensuring adequate funding and supply systems for public hospitals.
The senators also requested that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development reinforce the National Building Code by making Non-Return Valves compulsory in buildings to prevent snakes and rodents from entering homes through drainage channels.
During the session, the Senate observed a minute of silence in memory of the late Ifunanya Nwangene.
