Health monitoring and regulatory agencies in the country have been advised to be firm in applying stipulated sanctions and to continuously update the knowledge of their staff members to enable them carry out their duties effectively.
A Professor of Public Health at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Professor. Akin osibogun gave the advice while delivery a keynote address at a stakeholders engagement organised by the Lagos State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA, in Alausa, Ikeja.
Speaking on theme: Combating Quackery in the Health Sector: Strengthening Stakeholder Collaboration and Regulatory Oversight, Prof Osibogun identified consumer ignorance and desperation and ungoverned Health space, religious and cultural connotations/practices as some of the drivers of quackery.
“HEFAMAA and such other bodies need to p educate members of the public, provide awareness because people need to know more about the causes of disease and how they can be diagnosed, and where to seek for health, they must maintain watchfulness over who should provide services, the facilities, the qualification of workers there, the key thing in quackery is that they are offering services they are not qualified to offer because of profits” Prof Osibogun said.
The Public health expert also advised Nigerians to take advantage of Health Insurance to curb out of pocket spending and exorbitant fees during major illnesses.
Speaking on the negative impact of quackery in an opening remark, the Chairman of the Board of HEFAMAA, Dr Yemisi Solanke- Koya highlighted the importance of Collaboration to effectively tackle the scourge.
“Joint collaboration is key to curbing quackery which is endemic in the sector, amd as usual, HEFAMAA is strengthening its role to combat thie problem of quackery in this State and I will again appellal to Lagosians, where you do not see a logo, that means that facility is not registered and if you have any problem with any practitioner and you feel that they do not have credentials as a medical professional, please report to HEFAMAA” she said.
On her part, HEFAMAA Executive Secretary, Dr Abiola Idowu who described the forum as a bonding platform, announced that between January and June this year, the Agency had shut down 40 Health Facilities for various infractrations
She listed the infractions committed to include non-registration of facilities and lack of qualified medical personnel as well as the training of auxiliary nurses.
Dr Abiola explained that the key areas the monitors focused attention on during monitoring and inspection exercise of health facilities are “the qualification of personnel, operations and processes of the facility, its environment as well as the standard of equipment and compliance with minimum standards.”
The highly interactive one day engagement was attended by representatives of the various medical and allied associations from across the State.
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