HEFAMAA warns Ikorodu Residents against patronising unregistered Health Facilities

The Lagos State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has taken its public sensitisation campaign to Ikorodu, educating residents on how to identify registered health facilities and encouraging them to support government efforts aimed at ensuring safe and quality healthcare delivery.

The agency said the initiative was designed to protect residents from unqualified practitioners and substandard medical services, stressing that patronising only registered healthcare centres remains critical to public safety.

Speaking during the exercise, the Permanent Secretary, HEFAMAA, Dr. Abiola Idowu, said the sensitisation drive was targeted at ensuring Lagos residents, particularly those in Ikorodu, have access to safe and quality healthcare services.

She explained that HEFAMAA visited the community to educate residents on how to identify approved health facilities, noting that any hospital or healthcare centre displaying the official HEFAMAA logo and QR code is duly registered and staffed with qualified personnel.

According to her, the identification system is meant to guide residents in making informed healthcare choices.

Idowu, who was represented by the Deputy Director of Health Education, Oladunni Omonike, added that the campaign was also aimed at discouraging residents from patronising unregistered hospitals and primary healthcare centres that operate without proper approval or professional standards.

She stressed that choosing registered facilities not only protects individual health but also supports government efforts to regulate healthcare delivery across Lagos State.

“The main purpose is to monitor healthcare facilities operating without HEFAMAA’s approval and ensure that only registered centres with qualified personnel are allowed to provide services to the public,” Idowu noted.

The Permanent Secretary also issued a warning to religious houses conducting deliveries for pregnant women without the agency’s approval, describing such practices as illegal and dangerous.

She emphasised that any religious or faith-based centre involved in maternity services must obtain proper registration and meet the required healthcare standards.

According to her, the agency will not hesitate to sanction defaulters in order to safeguard lives and ensure quality healthcare delivery across the state.

Also speaking, the Chief Nutrition Officer, HEFAMAA, Richard Olusanya, explained that all approved health facilities, including physiotherapy clinics, laboratories, private hospitals and government-owned institutions, are required to display the official HEFAMAA logo.

He noted that public facilities, including the General Hospital in Ikorodu, also carry the logo, which clearly indicates that they are certified and authorised to provide healthcare services to residents.

Olusanya further stated that HEFAMAA is responsible for registering health facilities across Lagos State, adding that no centre is approved without first meeting the required operational standards.

According to him, the agency has established minimum benchmarks that every healthcare facility must satisfy before being allowed to operate, including the availability of qualified and well-trained personnel.

He emphasised that healthcare centres must have the appropriate mix of professionals, such as doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists and technicians, warning that facilities cannot be established by simply assembling individuals without the requisite training and certification.

“Facilities must also be properly equipped. Hospitals and clinics are expected to have functional medical equipment that meets regulatory standards, as this is essential for safe and effective healthcare delivery to Lagos residents,” he added.