The Ogun state government has said six persons have been detained for quackery and has sealed 10 unapproved medical facilities in the Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of the state.
This was made known by the commissioner for health Dr. Tomi Coker, who oversaw a team of medical professionals from the Ministry’s Hospital Services Department, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Association of General Private Nursing Practitioners (AGPNP), and the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) that examined private hospitals and other medical facilities in the local government area.
Coker revealed that this came about as a result of information about the inflow of quacks from Lagos State into Ado-Odo/Ota LGA.
She noted that the current administration’s objective was to protect the lives of innocent locals who would end up as victims at the hands of unskilled practitioners.
Underlining that the government would no longer put up with quack activity since it has serious repercussions for the people living in the State, especially those living near the border between Lagos and Ogun, she also said that facility inspections will still take place throughout the state.
“This government, as you must have seen in the past few years, has prioritized the well-being of all residents. While we are trying to make healthcare accessible to our people, we are also conscious of the need to standardize the medical profession in the State. We are aware of the proliferation of quacks here and have declared zero tolerance for them.”
“The truth is that some of the facilities we visited today were opened by doctors and nurses who don’t oversee them. We visited diagnostic centers, laboratory facilities, and alternative medicine centers that are operating outside their scope by administering intravenous drugs and IV fluids among other things. We have apprehended them and handed them over to the police for prosecution,” She said.
The Commissioner also issued a warning, saying that medical professionals who operate beyond the parameters of their permits or who are not properly registered will be subject to the full force of the law.
She called on all pertinent professional associations in the State to work with the government to eradicate any illegal activity from the industry and to assist their members in obtaining the necessary licences to run their own private medical facilities.
Dr. Azim Ashimi, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Ogun State Branch, called the inflow of quacks in the State depressing since it is causing needless deaths of innocent people.
He noted that in order to combat this threat, his association has decided to act independently to deal with individuals who pose as doctors but are either unlicensed or lack the necessary training to treat patients adding that It will also work in tandem with the State government through the ministry of health.
