HEFAMAA, Lagos Monarch urge residents to report illegal Clinics, patronise registered facilities

The Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has urged communities across the state to be more aware of their roles in safeguarding their health, particularly by recognising registered health facilities and reporting quacks.

Speaking at a Sensitisation Campaign and Townhall Meeting on the Roles and Responsibilities of HEFAMAA held at the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary of HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola Idowu, represented by Dr. Daniel Olayinka, Director of Monitoring and Inspection, said the agency deliberately took the engagement to the grassroots to bridge a long-standing information gap.

“The essence of this programme is to move into the community, especially at the local government level, to sensitise members of the community on the roles and responsibilities of HEFAMAA,” Idowu said explained.

“We have done research and discovered that even though the agency has been engaging healthcare practitioners and visitors to health facilities, we have left out an important stakeholder-the members of the community. They know little or nothing about what HEFAMAA is doing to safeguard their health. That is why we brought the agency close to them,” she added.

She stressed that HEFAMAA’s duties cover registration, routine monitoring, and compliance enforcement in health facilities across Lagos State.

According to her, the introduction of signages, identification logos, and uniquely designed QR codes are innovations aimed at empowering the public to verify accredited health facilities.

“The QR codes are pasted at the reception of facilities. Members of the public can scan them to know important information about that facility,” Idowu said, adding that “This is part of our innovation to make the monitoring system more transparent and accessible.”

Also speaking at the meeting, Mr. Richard Olusanya, Chief Nutrition Officer, HEFAMAA, traced the history of the agency to its establishment in 2006, with the mandate to regulate and monitor hospitals, clinics, maternity homes, and other health centres.

“HEFAMAA sets standards in the areas of equipment, personnel, and environment. If you are running a hospital, the person in charge must be a qualified medical doctor or nurse. We don’t want one person doing everything—treating eyes, teeth, and all. We don’t want our people to fall victim,” he said.

“We only issue certificates to qualified health facilities. Even after registration, we go there twice a year to ensure they still keep to standard.”

Olusanya also clarified misconceptions about health centres, noting that clinics are not meant to operate 24 hours.

He advised all facilities, both public and private, to display their registration certificates prominently.

On the QR code system, Olusanya said: “When you scan the code, you will see the name, address, and owner of the facility. You can also send feedback directly to HEFAMAA, whether good or bad. We expect people here to spread this information across their communities, markets, and associations.”

In his goodwill remarks, Oba Moroof Oyekunle Oluwa, the Olu of Iwa Kingdom, Apapa, welcomed the initiative, warning residents against patronising unregistered chemists and herbal centres.

“In Ajeromi, we have all the tribes, and their problem is that they visit chemists a lot. Some time ago, NAFDAC closed several chemists because of adulterated drugs. This type of meeting is very important,” the monarch said.

“If you see something, say something. If you know anybody operating illegal clinics and maternity homes, let me know, and I will report to the Lagos State Government for necessary action.”

The sensitisation meeting drew community leaders, healthcare practitioners, and residents, who were urged to become watchdogs of their health system by supporting HEFAMAA’s efforts in weeding out quacks and illegal operators.