Quackery
By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, March 14, 2018 (NAN) In a bid to eradicate quackery, the Oyo State Government has closed down eight health facilities.
The state government also said that the training of auxiliary nurses in private facilities would no longer be tolerated.
Dr Azeez Adeduntan, the State Commissioner for Health, announced the measures on Wednesday during a routine monitoring exercise and inspection of private health care facilities in Ibadan metropolis by a task force.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government recently cautioned owners of private health facilities in the state to desist from making use of quacks.
Among the areas visited by the task force were Apete, Awotan, Ijokodo, Arometa, Sango and Mokola in Ibadan metropolis.
“Eight out of 11 facilities visited were closed for quackery practices, illegal operations, unqualified medical personnel and failure to maintain the minimum standard of practice.
“These facilities were also not registered with the government,” he said.
Adeduntan, who was represented by Dr Ayoola Adebisi, Director of Secondary Health Care and Training, said training of nurses in private facilities was against the ethics guiding the profession.
The commissioner said there were 12 qualified institutions in the state to train nursing students in tandem with best practices across the globe.
Adeduntan noted that the monitoring exercise was not to witch-hunt anybody or private health care facilities in the state, but to sanitise the system.
“It is also to ensure that they comply with the rules and regulations guiding the operations of private health care facilities. The monitoring will be a continuous exercise, ” he said.
The commissioner also said the state government received 34 motorcycles from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to improve surveillance and ensure residents attain the highest standard of health.
Adeduntan, while handing over the motorcycles to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in Ibadan, noted that surveillance was key for the control, elimination and eradication of diseases plaguing the society.
“One of the main obstacles to active surveillance is the availability of a means of locomotion to reach remote health facilities and communities.
“Such could also hinder adequate sensitisation of people on priority diseases under surveillance such as yellow fever, cholera and other outbreak of diseases that may occur in the state,” he said.
The commissioner assured WHO that the state government would make maximum use of the motorcycles.
In her remarks, Dr Ada Erinle, who represented the WHO State Coordinator, said the organisation was committed to supporting efforts of government aimed at promoting and protecting the health of residents of the state.
She said that the aim of the initiative was to serve as a quick response to any outbreak of diseases that may occur in the community.
Erinle said that the motorcycles were purchased with the support of other donors for all local government areas and Diseases Surveillance and Notification Officers in Nigeria with a reflective jacket and helmet for each motorcycle. (NAN)
TAA/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)