The Senate has urged state governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration to establish coordinated emergency referral and response systems linking public and private hospitals, amid concerns over avoidable deaths caused by poorly managed medical emergencies.
Lawmakers said such systems would guarantee rapid access to life-saving medicines, especially in emergencies such as snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning and drug overdoses, where delays often prove fatal.
The resolution 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 public outrage over the death of Abuja-based singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly died after suffering a snakebite and being unable to access antivenom treatment promptly.
Nwangene’s death went viral 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 care at two hospitals but was left untreated due to the absence of antivenom.
However, the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, where she was eventually taken, said medical personnel made concerted efforts to save her life but were unsuccessful.
Presenting the motion, Adebule lamented the rising number of emergency cases in Nigeria requiring immediate medical intervention, noting that systemic gaps in hospital preparedness were costing lives.
She said Nigeria continues to record increasing cases of snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, drug overdoses and other forms of envenomation, all of which require the immediate administration of specific antidotes to prevent avoidable deaths and irreversible complications.
The senator described Nwangene’s death as tragic and avoidable, saying it exposed serious gaps in emergency preparedness and antidote availability in both public and private hospitals.
Adebule noted that the World Health Organisation classifies snakebite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease and emphasises timely access to safe and effective antivenoms, particularly in countries like Nigeria where such incidents are common.
She added that many hospitals across the country either do not stock essential antidotes or maintain insufficient quantities, leading to dangerous delays, unnecessary referrals and preventable loss of lives.
According to her, victims are often forced to move between public and private hospitals in search of antidotes during the critical “golden hour,” significantly increasing mortality and morbidity rates.
Following deliberations, the Senate called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to ensure procurement, quality assurance, proper storage and nationwide availability of safe, effective and affordable antivenoms and other critical antidotes, with priority given to high-risk regions.
Lawmakers also urged state governments to immediately audit public and private hospitals to assess compliance with antidote-stocking and emergency preparedness standards.
The Senate further directed relevant professional and regulatory bodies to strengthen emergency response protocols and mandate periodic training for healthcare workers on the proper administration of antidotes.
It also called on health regulatory authorities to make the stocking of essential antidotes a mandatory requirement for licensing, registration and renewal of accreditation of private hospitals, while ensuring adequate budgetary provisions for public hospitals.
In addition, senators asked the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to strengthen the National Building Code by making Non-Return Valves mandatory in buildings to prevent snakes and rodents from entering homes through drainage systems.
During the session, the Senate observed a minute of silence in honour of the late Ifunanya Nwangene.
Elijah Adeyemi
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