The Nigerian Senate has urged the Federal Government to mandate the availability of snake anti-venoms and other critical antidotes in hospitals across the country following the death of Abuja-based singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, popularly known as Nanyah.
Nwangene reportedly died after she was bitten by a snake at her residence, a development lawmakers described as a reflection of serious gaps in emergency healthcare delivery.
During plenary on Tuesday, the Senate called on the Federal Ministry of Health to formulate and enforce national guidelines stipulating minimum stock levels of anti-venoms, antidotes, and emergency medicines in both public and private hospitals.
The upper chamber also resolved that private hospitals that fail to maintain these essential medicines should not be granted operating licences, stressing that emergency care must meet minimum safety standards nationwide.
In addition, lawmakers urged the Federal Government to ensure adequate funding and sustained supply of anti-venoms in public health facilities to prevent avoidable deaths arising from snake bites, poisonings, scorpion stings, and drug overdoses.
The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule (APC, Lagos West), who noted that Nigeria continues to record increasing cases of envenomation and poisoning requiring urgent medical attention.
She warned that the absence of life-saving antidotes in hospitals often results in deaths that could otherwise be prevented with timely intervention.
Contributing to the debate, senators observed that Nwangene’s death highlighted deficiencies in emergency preparedness, adding that prompt access to anti-venoms might have altered the outcome.
The Senate further directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to work with the Ministry of Health to oversee the procurement, quality control, storage, and nationwide distribution of safe and affordable anti-venoms, with priority given to high-risk areas.
State governments were also urged to conduct immediate audits of hospitals within their jurisdictions to ensure compliance with approved standards for antidote stocking and emergency response.
The Senate observed a minute of silence in honour of Nwangene, who died at the age of 26.
