Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has directed all hospitals in the state to treat persons with gunshot wounds and accident victims before demanding police reports.

The Governor said that the duty to save lives is primary, and must come ahead of formal reports to the police.

Spokesman to the Governor, Samuel Aruwan, disclosed this in a statement shortly after the 15th Kaduna State Security Council meeting held at the Kaduna Government House on Thursday.

According to the statement, “The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has directed all hospitals in the state to, with immediate effect, start treating persons with gunshot wounds and accident victims without demanding Police Report as a basis for attention.

“Lives must be saved first, before the formalities of demanding police reports from victims. After saving lives, hospitals and other agencies can start making inquiries regarding how the gunshot wounds and other injuries were sustained. We consider it a gross abdication of responsibility if any hospital leaves injured patients unattended because of the absence of police reports.

“What is important is saving lives. There is no reason for an innocent citizen who has survived armed robbery and needs treatment for a gunshot wound to be denied the medical attention he requires. The hospitals can comply with reporting requirements to the police after providing the care the patient needs.

“This is the unanimous resolution of the Kaduna State Security Council. As Governor, I have communicated this decision to the Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services and other concerned agencies operating in the state. A moment of trauma is not the time to put paper before lives. All our healthcare agencies have been advised that it will amount to criminal neglect to deny or delay critical care to such patients.”

News Express reports that the meeting of the Kaduna State Security Council which endorsed the resolution was attended by representatives of the Army, Police, Air Force, Navy, Directorate of State Services, Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the Customs Service. Also present at the meeting were HRH AlhajiShehu Idris, the chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Emirs and Chiefs, Emir of Birnin Gwari, HRH Alhaji Zubairu Jibril II, and Kpop Gwong, HRH Paul ZakkaWyom.

•Photo shows Governor El-Rufai.