President of National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NACHPN) Comrade Kabir Yahaya Ahmed has announced that the association will partner the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) to close down unlicensed community health centers and prosecute them.
He gave the warning during a reception organised by the North West zone of the association in his honour in Kaduna at the weekend.
Ahmed said the only way to address their challenges is through collaboration with EFCC and ICPC and also digitalizing all their activities.
He said 90 per cent of community health practitioners are computer literates and with the new approach of digitalization, all their genuine members can be identified.
Ahmed said with digitalisation and collaboration with key stakeholders, quacks and illegal centers would have to look for jobs elsewhere but not at community health.
The president also announced the plan to review the act establishing community health in order to provide a window and opportunities for their members to develop their educational careers.
In his welcome address, the chairman of NACHPN, Kaduna State chapter, Comrade Ibrahim Lawal Kubau who congratulated Comrade Ahmed as the new president of the association in the country assured that the members of Northwest zone would give him maximum support and cooperation to succeed.
He urged the president and his executive to address the issues associated with proliferation and operations of private schools of health technologies that claimed to be training community health workers.
Comrade Kubau also lamented the level of uncertificated and unlicensed community health practitioners that need thorough follow up so as to maintain the professional ethics.
