The Senate is deeply troubled by the tragic death of Abuja-based singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, popularly known as Nanyah, who reportedly died after a snakebite at her residence. Lawmakers describe the incident as heartbreaking and largely avoidable, citing serious deficiencies in Nigeria’s emergency healthcare response system.
The matter brought to the Senate floor through a motion sponsored by Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule (APC, Lagos West), who draws attention to what she describes as an urgent national concern the persistent lack of essential antidotes and emergency medicines in both public and private hospitals across the country.
According to Senator Adebule, Nigeria continues to witness a growing number of medical emergencies, including snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, and drug overdoses. She stresses that these emergencies require the immediate administration of specific antidotes, failure of which often results in preventable loss of life, as seen in the case of the late singer.
Following deliberations, the Senate resolves to call on the Federal Ministry of Health to immediately develop, implement, and enforce national guidelines prescribing minimum stock levels of snake antivenoms, other critical antidotes, and emergency medicines in designated public and private hospitals nationwide.
Senators contributing to the debate agree that Nwangene’s death exposes dangerous gaps in emergency preparedness, noting that many hospitals are ill-equipped to handle sudden medical crises. They lament that, in many cases, health facilities resort to frantic searches for life-saving drugs only after emergencies occur, a delay that often proves fatal.
The Red Chamber further urges the Federal Ministry of Health to collaborate with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ensure the proper procurement, quality assurance, safe storage, and nationwide availability of effective and affordable antivenoms. Special priority, lawmakers insist, must be given to regions identified as high-risk for snakebites and similar emergencies.
In addition, the Senate calls on state governments, through their Ministries of Health and Hospital Management Boards, to immediately audit both public and private hospitals within their jurisdictions. The aim is to ascertain compliance with approved antidote-stocking regulations and overall emergency preparedness standards.
Lawmakers also emphasise the importance of periodic training for healthcare workers, noting that the mere availability of antidotes is insufficient if skilled personnel capable of administering them promptly are absent during emergencies.
The Senate observes a minute of silence in honour of the late Ifunanya Nwangene, expressing sympathy to her family and loved ones. Members reaffirm the need for proactive healthcare policies, stressing that Nigeria must not wait for fatalities before addressing systemic failures in its healthcare delivery system.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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