Ogun govt apprehends six for quackery

Coker

…seals 10 unapproved medical facilities 

Damilola Ajibola

The Ogun State Government has apprehended six persons for quackery and handed them over to the Police for further investigation.

This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, during an inspection to private hospitals and other medical facilities in Ado-Odo Local Government Area of the State.

Coker who led a team of medical personnel from the Hospital Services Department of the Ministry, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Association of General Private Nursing Practitioners (AGPNP), and Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), on the inspection, said that 10 unapproved medical facilities were sealed to secure the lives of the people of the state.

The Commissioner noted that the inspection became expedient following a tip-off on the influx of quacks in Ado-Odo/Ota LGA from Lagos State, saying the goal of the present administration was to safeguard the lives of innocent residents who could become victims in the hands of the untrained practitioners.

She emphasized that the government would no longer tolerate activities of quacks as this has severe consequences for those residing in the State, particularly those in border areas between Lagos and Ogun, adding that the inspection of facilities would continue across 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 further warned that medical practitioners who are not duly registered or operating outside the scope of their permit would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

She urged all relevant professional associations in the State to join hands with government to rid the sector of all illegalities and educate their members to get the right licenses to operate their private medical facilities.

The Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State Branch, Dr. Azim Ashimi, described the influx of quacks in the State as disheartening, leading to needless loss of innocent lives.

He said his association had resolved to independently work towards dealing with those who pretend to be doctors and are either not trained or licensed to treat people, while also collaborating with the State government through the Ministry of Health to address this menace.