You Are A Patient, Not A Passenger: Understanding Patients’ Rights in Nigeria

“Doctor, what is this drug for?”

“It’s for the infection. Just take it three times a day.”

You nod and collect the prescription.

You have some questions you want to ask, but the doctor has already called the next patient.

And honestly, you can understand why. Nigerian hospitals can be crowded, understaffed and stressful. Doctors and nurses may be moving from one patient to another with barely enough time to breathe.

So you tell yourself: They’re the professionals. They know what they’re doing.

But being a patient does not mean you have to stop asking questions about your own health.

The Patients’ Bill of Rights (PBoR) along with the National Health Act (NHA) brings together important rights that patients have when receiving healthcare in Nigeria. These include the right to informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, emergency care, dignity, quality care and the right to complain.

So, what do these rights actually mean?

You Have a Right to Know

A patient should not have to guess what is happening to them.

You have a right to informed consent. Section 23 of the National Health Act 2014 requires full knowledge to be provided to patients before healthcare services are provided. This means that you must have relevant information about your medical condition, available diagnostic tests and treatment options, including the risks, benefits, costs and possible consequences if you refuse treatment. This information should be communicated in a language and manner you can understand.

The Supreme Court considered this principle in Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal v Okonkwo. The case concerned a patient who died after refusing a blood transfusion on religious grounds. The Court recognizes the importance of a competent adult patient's autonomy in deciding whether to accept medical treatment.

Of course, consent is not an unlimited right in every situation. Capacity, emergencies and other legal considerations can affect how the law applies.

So, it is okay to ask:

What exactly is wrong with me?

What is this medication for?

Are there alternatives?

What are the risks?

What happens if I refuse or delay the treatment?

You also have a right to information about the people providing your care, including relevant information about their professional identity, qualifications and the services they are authorized to provide.

You do not need to become a medical expert. You simply need enough information to participate meaningfully in decisions about your own care.

Your Health Information Is Yours

Imagine telling your doctor something deeply personal and later hearing people discussing it in the hospital corridor.

Your medical information is not public property.

The PBoR recognizes your right to confidentiality and privacy. Section 26 of the NHA also protects information concerning a patient's health status, treatment and stay in a health establishment, subject to legally recognized exceptions.

The Constitution protects privacy under section 37, while section 30(1) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 provides additional protection for sensitive personal data, including health-related information.[source]

You also have a right of access to your health records under the NHA and PBoR. Your medical history should not feel like a secret document that you are completely excluded from.

Care Should Not Depend on Your Wallet

Healthcare can be expensive, and patients have a right to know what they are being charged for.

The PBoR recognizes the right to fee transparency, meaning patients should receive information about the costs associated with their treatment and should not be confronted with unexplained charges.

But there is an important distinction when it comes to emergencies.

The PBoR and Section 20 NHA recognizes your right to emergency care. Emergency medical treatment should not simply be withheld because you cannot immediately pay or because you have not produced a police report.

When a person’s life is at risk, the first question should be how to provide the necessary emergency intervention and not to receive payment for healthcare services.

And this isn’t just your right, i[source]t’s a legal obligation on healthcare providers. The law provides consequences for contravening this provision: a fine of ₦100,000, imprisonment for six months, or both.

You Have a Right to Dignity

Being sick does not make you less deserving of respect.

Patients have a right to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of factors such as religion, ethnicity, disability or economic status.

This also extends to the respectful handling of human remains and tissue samples.

You also have a right to receive care in a safe environment and from appropriately qualified and licensed healthcare professionals. The PBoR recognizes the right to quality healthcare that meets prevailing professional standards.

In other words, “you are in a hospital” should not mean that basic dignity and safety disappear at the door.

What If Your Doctor Suddenly Isn't Available?

If the healthcare professional responsible for your care becomes unavailable or is reassigned, you have a right to be informed about significant interruptions in your care and to have appropriate arrangements made for continuity.

You should not simply be left wondering who is now responsible for your treatment or what happens next.

What If You Are Unhappy With Your Care?

You have a right to complain.

If you believe you have been treated improperly, negligently or unprofessionally, you should not feel that you simply have to accept it and go home.

Ask questions. Keep copies of prescriptions, laboratory results, discharge notes and other relevant medical documents where possible. Find out what complaint procedure the healthcare facility has.

Section 30 of the National Health Act provides for this right.

Complaining is not necessarily about attacking a healthcare professional. It is a way of demanding accountability when something has gone wrong.

You Are a Patient, Not a Passive Body

Think back to that prescription.

The doctor may genuinely know what they are doing. The nurse may be doing everything possible to attend to the next patient. The hospital may simply be overwhelmed.

But none of that extinguishes your rights.

You have a right to information.
You have a right to privacy and confidentiality.
You have a right to transparent information about fees.
You have a right to emergency care.
You have a right to dignity and respect.
You have a right to safe and quality care.
You have a right to informed consent and refusal of treatment.
You have a right to access your health records.
You have a right to know about significant interruptions in your care.
And when something goes wrong, you have a right to complain.

Knowing your rights does not make you a difficult patient.

It makes you an informed patient.