1st November, 2021
The Lagos Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, (HEFAMAA) has shut down Vedic Lifecare Hospital, for engaging unlicensed expatriates.
The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Abiola Idowu who made the disclosure in her office in Alausa, Ikeja at the weekend, explained that the hospital, located at Plot 6, Olabanji Olajide Street, Lekki, was sealed for engaging expatriate staff who have not been certified to practice locally.
“The facility was shut down for engaging three foreign doctors and a nurse with unverified certificates and without licenses from any professional body,” she explained in a statement issued by Uthman Ayokunle, Head, Public Affairs, HEFAMAA.
She, however, stated that the closure of the hospital did not affect the in-patients already admitted.
She revealed that the Agency was aware that some facilities were engaging Foreign-Based Transient Medical Doctors (FBTMD) who come into the State, stay for a period of time to provide medical care to patients and perform medical procedures following which they return to their respective countries.
In her response, the Chairman, HEFAMAA Governing Board, Dr. Yemisi Solanke-Koya noted that the practice raised consequential concerns regarding the regulatory oversight of healthcare in the State.
The concerns, according to her, focused on whether the facilities where the FBTMDs provided medical care were registered with and meet the standards required by HEFAMAA; whether the FBTMDs themselves possess the requisite credentials and experience required to practice the designated specialties they travel to the State for and whether the provisions made for the realm of continuity of care of the patients when the FBTMDs leave the State meet the standard of care.
The Chairman warned that hospitals in Lagos should desist from using foreigners whose certificates and licenses had not been verified by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
She, however, indicated that the Commissioner for Health in the State, Professor Akin Abayomi has directed that the Agency implement a FBTMD policy that would ensure that FBTMDs are approved by the Medical Dental Council of Nigeria to practice medicine in the country.
She added that such approval must be submitted and duly registered with HEFAMAA prior to commencing the practice of medicine in the State to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of Lagosians and hold the facilities engaging FTDMBs accountable.