A Senate motion, spurred by the death of an aspiring Nigerian singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, from a snakebite, and compounded by a lack of anti-venom in hospitals, has ordered that hospitals nationwide stock antidotes.
Senator Idiat Adebule’s motion (Lagos West) also instructed the Federal Health Ministry to enforce the order, addressing concerns about inadequate medical facilities and limited access to essential antidotes.
Senator Adebule stated that rising cases of snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, and drug overdose in Nigeria lead to preventable deaths due to delayed antidote administration, citing Ifunanya Nwangene’s death as a systemic failure.
The motion, supported by senators, called for sufficient snakebite antivenom and adequate medical facilities to protect citizens.
The Senate passed resolutions urging the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to develop and enforce national guidelines for minimum stock levels of essential antidotes and emergency medicines in public and private hospitals.
The Senate directed the Ministry, in collaboration with NAFDAC, to ensure the procurement, quality, storage, and nationwide availability of safe, effective, and affordable antivenoms, prioritising high-risk regions.
State governments were directed to audit public and private hospitals for compliance with antidote stocking and emergency preparedness standards. Professional and regulatory bodies were tasked with strengthening emergency response standards and ensuring regular antidote administration training for healthcare workers.
The Senate also called for the establishment of coordinated emergency referral and response systems linking public and private hospitals to guarantee timely access to life-saving medicines. It further resolved that stocking of essential antidotes should become a mandatory condition for licensing, registration and renewal of accreditation of private hospitals.
The lawmakers also directed the Federal Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency to launch a nationwide public awareness campaign on the importance of prompt hospital presentation after snakebites, poisoning and envenomation, warning against delays in seeking medical care.
The senate condoled with the family of the deceased and also observed a minute’s silence in her honour.
