Lagos Intensifies War Against Medical Quackery

Lagos State government has intensified efforts to rid the healthcare sector of quackery and urged the residents to support regulatory authorities in identifying and reporting unlicensed health facilities operating across the state.

The executive secretary of the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Dr Victoria Egunjobi, stated this during a one-day Awareness and Sensitisation Campaign held in Badagry to educate residents on the agency’s statutory responsibilities and the dangers of patronising unqualified healthcare providers.

The executive secretary, represented by the director of Monitoring and Inspection, Dr Olayinka Daniel Egunjobi, stressed that safeguarding public health requires collective action from the government, community leaders, and residents.

She urged Lagosians to patronise only health facilities displaying the official HEFAMAA accreditation logo, noting that the emblem serves as evidence that such facilities have met the required operational standards and have been duly licensed by the state government.

According to her, the sensitisation programme was designed to deepen public awareness of HEFAMAA’s mandate, which includes the monitoring, inspection, accreditation and licensing of healthcare facilities across Lagos State.

“The essence of this programme is to enlighten residents of Badagry on the responsibilities of HEFAMAA, which include monitoring, inspection, accreditation and licensing of health facilities. This is aimed at ensuring that only qualified healthcare providers, in line with the provisions of Section 63 of the Lagos State Health Sector Reform Law, are allowed to operate in the state,” she said.

Egunjobi warned that medical quackery remains a serious threat to public health and safety, emphasising that preventable deaths resulting from unqualified medical practice must not be tolerated.

“One life lost due to quackery is one too many,” she stated.

She further appealed to traditional rulers, market leaders, artisans, religious organisations, youth groups, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to partner with the agency in its ongoing campaign to eliminate illegal medical practice.

“This is not a task that the agency can accomplish alone. We are calling on our traditional rulers, market women and men, artisans, religious leaders, youths, medical practitioners and other relevant stakeholders to join hands with us in eradicating quackery from Lagos State.

“Ensure that you patronise only health facilities displaying the HEFAMAA logo. If you notice any facility operating without the logo, please report it. See something, say something, so that together we can win the battle against quackery,” she added.