The Nigerian Senate has called on all levels of government to strengthen emergency healthcare by ensuring that hospitals, particularly in snake-prone and high-risk areas, maintain minimum stocks of anti-venom and other life-saving antidotes.
The resolutions were made following a motion presented by Senator Idiat Adebule (APC Lagos West) during plenary, highlighting the death of 26-year-old singer Ifunanya Nwangene, popularly known as Nanya, who died last Saturday in Abuja after suffering a snakebite. Reports indicated that she sought urgent medical attention at two hospitals but could not receive treatment due to the unavailability of anti-venom.
Senator Adebule emphasized the need for federal and state governments to guarantee nationwide availability and access to essential antidotes and emergency medicines, noting the rising incidence of medical emergencies such as snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, and drug overdoses.
Senator Sunday Karimi (APC Kogi West) stressed prioritizing 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,” he said.
Senator Anthony Ani (APC Ebonyi South) called for compliance with minimum medical stock requirements to be linked to hospital licensing, stating, “Hospitals that cannot meet basic emergency care standards should not be allowed to operate.”
Senator Titus Zam (APC Benue North-West) highlighted the disproportionate impact on rural communities, saying, “The poor and those in remote communities bear the brunt of these failures. Ensuring access to anti-venom is a matter of social justice.”
The Senate also mandated the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to develop and enforce national guidelines on minimum stock levels of essential antidotes in public and private hospitals. Health regulatory authorities were directed to make adherence to these requirements a prerequisite for licensing, registration, and renewal of hospital accreditation.
Further, the chamber called for adequate budgetary provisions and efficient supply mechanisms for public hospitals, and tasked the Federal Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) with nationwide public sensitization campaigns on the importance of prompt hospital presentation after snakebites, poisoning, and other forms of envenomation.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed condolences to the deceased’s family and Nigerians at large, describing the incident as “deeply saddening and unacceptable.” He added: “This is a loss that should never have happened. As a nation, we must do better to protect the lives of our citizens.”