LASG Shutdown 40 Health Facilities In Six Months , Vows To Combat Quackery 

The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Health Facilities Monitoring and  Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Dr. Abiola Idowu has revealed that no fewer than 40 private Health facilities have been shut in the first half of 2023 for various infractions across the State.

Dr. Idowu stated this in her address a One-Day Stakeholders’ Engagement organised by the Agency with the theme: “Combating Quackery in the Health Sector: Strengthening Stakeholders’ Collaboration and Regulatory Oversight”.

Speaking at the event held recently at Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, the Executive Secretary noted that in trying to combat quackery, it became imperative to involve relevant stakeholders in dialogue and proffer solutions, adding that the agency needs to foster its collaborations and partnerships to ensure the stakeholders understand the agency’s position and what they need to do in terms of compliance.

According to her, “There is a need to understand what they are going through and see how we can come together and ensure that health facilities have high standards as well as ensure that these standards are culturally acceptable”.

She added that some of the infractions the agency noticed include improper disposal of medical waste, unclean environment and inadequate staffing with the right qualifications.

On her part, the Chairperson of the HEFAMAA Board, Dr. (Mrs.) Yemisi Solanke-Koya noted that the stakeholders’ engagement is a clarion call to end quackery in Lagos State.

“We need to understand the nature of quackery, build on regulatory frameworks and enhance partnerships with relevant stakeholders in this regard. The goal is to have impactful results”, she said.

Solanke-Koya also used the forum to commend the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his giant strides in the health sector under the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda.

While delivering his keynote address titled: “Understanding the Nature and Scope of Quackery in the Health Sector”, Professor of Family Health, College of Medicine, University of Lagos and the President, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Professor Akin Osibogun stated that quackery can be practice by both professionals and non-professional.

According to Osibogun, “Quackery is when a person in one professional cadre lays claims to the ability to perform procedures not within his or her professional purview, that person is aiming to deceive patients and by definition, qualifies as a quack. It involves a dishonest claim by someone claiming to be a health practitioner with qualifications he or she doesn’t possess”.

He said the only way to nip the menace in the bud is to minimise the activities of perpetrators through concerted efforts of agencies such as HEFAMAA and a proper code of conduct must be put in place to ensure accountability. More importantly, cure-all measures must be avoided at all costs to keep people safe while ethics of the health profession must be followed to the letter.

He further explained that the main driver of quackery is consumer ignorance, desperation, unregulated health care system while constant health facilities monitoring remains key to combating quackery. The Lagos State Government was proactive in nature by setting up agencies such as HEFAMAA to monitor health facilities and ensure due process.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, represented by Dr. Olufunmilayo Shokunbi, Director, Medical Administration, Training and Programmes in the Ministry, said combating quackery is everybody’s business and urged participants to have fruitful deliberations.

At the end of the stakeholders’ engagement, participants agreed that all hands must be on deck to end quackery in the shortest possible time.

Dignitaries at the stakeholders’ engagement include the DPO Alausa Police Station, CSP Elizabeth Opadola; member of  HEFAMAA Board, Mr. Abiodun Hamzat; representative of Permanent Secretary of LASHMA and Chairman, International Association of Nigeria Nurses, Olurotimi Awojide among others.