|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Summary: The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, directed hospitals nationwide to maintain mandatory stocks of anti-venom and other life-saving antidotes following the death of singer Ifunanya Nwangene from a snake bite. Senator Idiat Adebule, representing the Lagos West Senatorial District, raised a motion on the urgent need for the Federal and State Governments to stock life-saving antidotes, leading to the legislative policy.
The Nigerian Senate has directed hospitals nationwide to maintain mandatory stocks of anti-venom and other life-saving antidotes following the death of singer Ifunanya Nwangene from a snake bite.
The legislative policy followed public outrage over Ifunanya Nwangene’s death on January 31, 2026, after two hospitals failed to provide adequate anti-venom treatment. The 26-year-old singer was bitten by a snake in her sleep and sought treatment at Divine Health Hospital in Lugbe, Abuja, where she was turned away due to a lack of anti-venom. She then travelled to the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, but only one of the two required doses of antivenom was available.
Subsequently, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Senator Idiat Adebule, representing the Lagos West Senatorial District, raised a motion at the national assembly for an “Urgent Need for the Federal and State Governments to ensure adequate stocking, availability, and access to life-saving antidotes and emergency medicines in Public and Private Hospitals across Nigeria.”
The lawmaker expressed grave concern over what she called the tragic and avoidable death of Ifunaya. She noted that the World Health Organisation classifies snakebite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease and emphasises the critical importance of timely access to safe and effective anti-venoms, particularly in countries like Nigeria, where snakebite incidents remain prevalent.
“No Nigerian should lose their life simply because a hospital lacks basic, life-saving antidotes. The tragic death of Miss Ifunanya Nwangene exposes the grave consequences of inadequate emergency preparedness in both public and private hospitals,” Senator Idiat stated.
Subsequently, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, to prioritise the procurement, quality assurance, proper storage, and nationwide distribution of safe, effective, and affordable anti-venom and other critical emergency antidotes.
They also directed that health regulatory agencies make the availability of anti-venoms and other essential reptile antidotes mandatory for the licensing, registration, and renewal of accreditation of private hospitals.
Afterwards, the legislative chamber observed a minute of silence in honour of Ifunaya Nwangene.
