19th March, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday vowed to team up with stakeholders to fight the scourge of quackery in the state’s health sector.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi said the scourge of quackery posed a grave threat to the health and wellbeing of citizens.
She spoke at the Stakeholders Engagement meeting organised by the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), at the Lagos Government Secretariat on Tuesday.
Ogunyemi said the government could not afford to overlook or underestimate the detrimental impact of unqualified individuals practicing medicine without proper credentials.
She stated that government would forge synergy with stakeholders to combat this menace and safeguard the integrity of the health system.
In her words: “Additionally, the scourge of quackery poses a grave threat to the health and wellbeing of our citizens. We cannot afford to overlook or underestimate the detrimental impact of unqualified individuals practicing medicine without proper credentials.
“Together, we must explore strategies to combat this menace and safeguard the integrity of our healthcare system. As stakeholders in the health sector, each of you plays a crucial role in shaping the present and future of healthcare delivery in Lagos State. Your expertise dedication, and commitment to excellence are indispensable assets in ensuring that every resident receives the quality care they deserve.”
Ogunyemi said the meeting aimed to discuss issues surrounding registration and renewal processes for health facilities, the pertinent matter of potential increments in registration fees, and the persistent challenge of quackery within our healthcare landscape.
According to her, registration and renewal served as pillars of accountability and professionalism within the healthcare sector.
“By ensuring that practitioners adhere to established standards and undergo periodic evaluations, we uphold the trust and confidence of the public in the services provided.
“However, we recognize that there may be areas for improvement in these processes, and your insights and feedback today will be invaluable in shaping our approach moving forward,” she said.
Ogunyemi added that the issue of registration fees required careful consideration and balancing of various factors, saying that while government strove to maintain affordability for practitioners, “we must also ensure that adequate resources are allocated towards the regulation and oversight necessary to uphold standards of care and protect patient safety. Your perspectives on this matter will contribute significantly to our decision-making process.”
Speaking on Issues relating to registration and renewal, the Executive Secretary, HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola Idowu lamented that some health practitioners simply uploaded their documents on the agency’s registration portal without going back to check if there is any query in what they uploaded thinking that once they uploaded their documents, they are deemed to have registered.
She emphasised that health practitioners were only deemed to have registered if they received certificate of registration from the agency.
Idowu added that the agency registered locations, saying that any moment one moved to another location, such practitioner would have to register again for the facility to be assessed.
“We register by location, we are not CAC, the moment you move from one location to another, you are no longer registered. There is condition for registration. We register premises and not names, these are some of the issues we are encountering,” Idowu said.
She also advised owners of facilities to use e-mail addresses that are verified and not those of employees who could leave the service of the employers anytime.
During the questions and answers, stakeholders asked pertinent questions regarding registration which were cleared by government representatives.
They also complained of excessive charges from the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) in carting away their medical wastes.
Ogunyemi told them that she would liaise with LAWMA to ensure that those who operate little ventures not up to the standard of hospitals were not billed excessively.
On the issued of registration fees, HEFAMAA boss, Idowu said beginning from July 1, 2024, the government would increase the fee in view of the prevailing challenges in the country.
She said any facility that has not paid registration fee latest by June 30th, would have to pay the new increment from July 1 for this year’s registration.
But the Special Adviser, Ogunyemi assured facilities owners when they complained of the planned increase, that government would do it with human face, saying the increase would not be excessive.
She also gave a month extension to facilities that have not registered for the year. The initial deadline is supposed to be in two weeks time, bur she extended it by a month.
On quackery, Ogunyemi said such cases arose when a pharmacist is trying to perform the role of a doctor which is diagnostic or a nurse trying to do otherwise.
She said pharmacists, nurses, laboratory technicians and others must stay within the area of their specialisation and must not try to encroach into other areas not theirs.