17th September, 2012
Officials of the Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA, at the weekend shut down 15 illegal hospitals in the state for various offences.
This is to rid the state of fake and unregistered health facilities in line with the state’s health sector Reform Law of 2006.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed this listed the offences committed by the affected health facilities as including quackery, unofficial training of auxiliary nurses, existence of living room within their facilities, lack of qualified personnel, poor facilities, unhygienic environment and non-registration of the facilities with the agency.
The commissioner, who frowned at the way health care providers trained auxiliary assistants in their clinics, noted that many medical doctors had been bastardising the medical profession by recruiting auxiliary nurses and unqualified personnel, thereby bringing the profession into disrepute as well as endangering the lives of innocent people who unknowingly patronise the health facilities.
He explained that the ugly trend has degenerated to a level where some of the auxiliary nurses now establish their own outfits, claiming to be professionals, saying that that in turn breed other quacks, stressing that such a trend could lead to a long chain of consequences for the health sector which should not be allowed to stand.
“Lagos State Government is more than ready and determined to put a halt to these ugly trends of having unqualified personnel work in health facilities, be it private or public. We as a government will continue to insist that the environment for the dispensation of medical care should be suitable for the promotion and maintenance of good health and we will ensure that,” Idris said.
The commissioner explained that the mandatory requirements for the registration of health facilities in the state include the provision of the current practising licence and credentials of the health personnel in charge of the health facilities; letters of clearance and recommendation from relevant professional bodies; and passport photographs of the proprietor and the officer in charge of operations in the facilities.
Other requirements are current practising licences of all health personnel working in such health facilities; evidence of attendance of Continuing Medical Education Programme for all health workers working in the facilities; and monthly data rendition to the Ministry of Health.
Idris said the shut health facilities would remain closed until they meet the mandatory requirements for the registration of health facilities in the state before they are reopened.
Health facilities shut are Kaff-Salam Maternity Home, Gbayi Clinic and Maternity Home, Iya Deborah Maternity Hospital, St. Daniel Hospital, Oluwaseun King Maternity Centre, Oluwadimimu Maternity Home, UDYP Christian Hospital, Mount Zion Maternity Centre, Above Medical Centre and The Saint Medical Diagnostics Centre.