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Tag: quackery

  • Body seeks help to address quackery

    Body seeks help to address quackery

    Employers Association for Private Employment Agencies of Nigeria (EAPEAN) has appealed to Ministry of Labour and Employment to reinstate the joint monitoring exercise it requested to address quackery.

    President, Olufemi Ogunlowo, spoke at the launch of EAPEAN as a trade union. It was formerly Human Captial Providers Association of Nigeria (HuCaPAN).

    Ogunlowo said EAPEAN was set up to address challenges of job seekers and ensure employers access reliable and efficient employment.

    The president noted private employment agencies play a role in the economy, as intermediaries between employers and job seekers.

    Read Also: Town planners begin battle against quackery, illegal developments in Enugu

    “By providing recruitment and job placement, they contribute to job creation, growth, and social development. This association is a testament to the commitment and dedication of members. By coming together, we enhance professionalism, foster collaboration, and promote best practices in private employment industry.

    “This association will provide information sharing, networking, and mentorship…” Ogunlowo said.

    He appealed to the ministry to reinstate the joint monitoring exercise to address quackery.

    Ogunlowo said: “Joint monitoring is one strategy to reduce quackery. Our request is to ensure better regulation and deter unlicensed operators.”

    Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs. Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, praised the association for attaining a new status as a registered trade union of employers. This, she noted, would re-position it as ‘a strategic social partner and ally of the ministry, and of International Labour Organisation (ILO).

  • Why quackery thrives in radiography, by experts

    Experts have given reasons why there are quacks in the radiography profession. This, they said, is traceable to the inability of regulatory agency to function properly as well as shortage of personnel in the medical examination profession.

    Speaking in Lagos at the World Radiography Day organised by the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria (ARN), Lagos State Chapter, ARN former President Ayo Okheria said quackery thrives due to shortage of manpower in the medical examination field.

    Okheria said: “The manpower issue can be resolved easily – establish more training institutions in the universities and look at how you can increase the inputs – the admission. Of course, the third level I have always said is, if you know that health care is important, and radiographers play a major role in it, you can also take an additional step of encouraging people to go and study this course in the form of scholarships, grants and sponsorships.

    The other part of it is the regulation; there’s a body that has been set up to regulate the training and practice of radiography. Empower this body to do its job very well – create more offices, recruit more officers, provide more funds so they can do their job effectively and efficiently.”

    Former registrar of Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) Reuben Babatunde, said radiography is the eye of medicine, adding “without radiography, it would be very difficult to treat anybody without diagnosis. Although radiography is not only about diagnosis, it’s also about treatment, when it comes to cancer.”

    According to him, 75 per cent of ailment must be diagnosed before treatment; otherwise the doctor will treat wrongly. Babatunde alleged that some doctors engage in radiography work without having the training.

    “When we say quacks in this case, we are talking of people who are doing what they are not certified to do, including doctors. Some people appear as doctors and they are not doctors. Some people are bent on not engaging the correct personnel,” he said.

    ARN Lagos State Chapter Acting Chairman Comrade Suleiman Shehu, said the radiography equipment in the country is obsolete. He said CT Scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines can only be found in four or five medical centres in the country. This, he said, is grossly inadequate to service the populace. Shehu, a Principal Radiographer with Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Meta, said radiography as a profession is an endangered specie because “we have people who are not qualified to handle these machines.”

     

     

  • Oyo shuts eight facilities for ‘quackery’

    The Oyo State government has reiterated its commitment to eradicate quackery in the Health sector. It has closed eight facilities.

    The government warned that the training of auxiliary nurses in private facilities will not be tolerated in the state.

    It noted that such a practice is against the ethics of training nurses, which leads to quackery.

    It said there are 12 qualified institutions in Oyo State that train nursing students in tandem with global best practices.

    Also, the government announced receiving 34 motorcycles to improve surveillance and ensure that the population of Oyo State attains the highest standard of health.

    The Commissioner for Health, Dr Azeez Adeduntan, who led a task force during routine monitoring and inspection of private health care facilities in Ibadan, urged those interested in nursing to go through schools established and identified by the state.

    Speaking through the Director of Secondary Health Care and Training, Dr. Ayoola Adebisi, the commissioner stressed that to be qualified as a nurse, weeding test is important to participate in capping and knotting of tie ceremony.

    He said this would confirm the certification of professionalism given to such nurses at the end their training.

  • Ogun leads in quackery, says NMA

    THE Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in  Ogun State has said the  state has the highest number of  quacks in  the country.

    Chairman of the  association in the state Dr Abayomi Olajide spoke yesterday at the group’s  Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Abeokuta.

    The conference theme is: “Anti-quackery: A  seemingly unending battle.’’

    Heregretted that despite   rigorous campaigns  against quackery,  the scourge continue  to plague the profession.

    According to him,  some  members are equally guilty of engaging quacks.

    “The war started in Lagos where many facilities were shut down and people started moving toward  Ogun State.

    “Perhaps, we (Ogun) should be ranked highest nationally as the state that habours quacks. Maybe, it is because of our proximity to Lagos.

    “From what we have seen, there is a lot of them that are thriving within the society,” he said.

    Olajide advocated a task force to shut down illegal health facilities.

    He called for a collaboration of stakeholders to stamp out “quacks and charlatans.’’

    The forum, he said, was to  sentisitise the public and ”remind our colleagues of how to manage their territory so that we can actually stamp out quacks in the profession.’’

    In his address, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Theophilus Ogunlesi, said the war against quacks ought to have been won a long time ago.

    He  said governments and stakeholders, however,  did not approach it with serious intent.

    Ogunlesi, who was represented by Dr Olusegun Feyisetan, called for  a radical approach by ensuring “critical reappraisal and screening of NMA members to battle quacks.’’

    Dr Adegboyega Ogunwale, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, in his lecture,  blamed the resurgence of quacks on poor licence strategy, ignorance, poverty, illiteracy, lack of monitoring team and poor facilities.

    Ogunwale said prompt resolution of industrial disputes  and adequate investment in the health sector as well as diligent prosecution of offenders would help in stamping out quackery.

    Dr Rotimi Ogungbe, a consultant on Health to Ogun, assured doctors of government’s commitment to the fight against quackery.

    He, however, challenged the association to “name and shame” quacks among its members  and ensure that doctors improve quality of  service delivery.

  • Curbing quackery among healthcare providers in Lagos

    Quackery is one of the greatest menaces facing healthcare delivery globally.  By definition, a quack is a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skills, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess. By extension, quackery connotes establishing or running a healthcare facility without qualified or certified personnel; or operating beyond the limits or scope of one’s specialization or expertise. In the field of healthcare delivery involving diagnosis, management and prevention of health issues, quackery can have unimaginable and damaging consequences for the populace.

    The havoc wrecked by quacks range from wrong diagnosis, misadministration of drugs and other interventions, and mismanagement of patients;  sometimes leading to extreme and irreversible damage, impairment and even loss of life. A case was recorded of a young lady who had the arm of her baby pulled off during labour by a quack midwife operating in a one room apartment in Ikorodu area of Lagos State. Of course the baby died and the mother has to live with not only the loss but the psychological effect of the incident and probable complications. Also on record is the case of a man who claimed to have studied Medicine in the Dominican Republic, but could not collect his certificate for financial reasons. He said he had his “training” under one Dr. Godwin Kanu, a retired consultant traumatologist and orthopaedist, for 14 years after his return to the country and since then had been practicing medicine. This “doctor” must have performed surgical operations on several innocent and unsuspecting citizens. Of course, many resulted in complications that had to be managed at other hospitals that later raised an alarm to prevent further debauchery by this human slab masquerading as a hospital. Security operatives recently arrested one Martins Okpeh, a 44-year-old secondary school certificate holder, for pretending to be a medical doctor for nine years. In addition, one Cosmos Daramola, who ran a health facility in Badagry, named Darcos Hospital, with a forged certificate from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife was equally arrested and prosecuted. Also, a Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW) working with Safeway Hospital, Ajah forged a nursing certificate and is presently undergoing prosecution.

    In addressing the issue of quackery and assuring the people of quality healthcare delivery both in the private and public sector, the Lagos State government established the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) in 2006. This is part of the efforts which emanated from the Health Reform Agenda which is backed by law. The main aim of this reform agenda is to improve the performance of the health system. A vital component of this process is the regulation of the private sector of healthcare delivery being a major provider of service to over 60% of the population. HEFAMAA is charged with the responsibility of monitoring both private and public health facilities to ensure registration and accreditation of all health facilities in Lagos State. It sets required minimum standards for operations of health facilities both in public and private health sector. The agency also accredits, inspects, monitors and licenses all health facilities. It also evaluates performance based on set standards by at least a monitoring visit to every facility twice a year. Among other things, HEFAMAA collates all necessary information on registered health facilities in the state, advice the health commissioner on all matters relating to the registration, inspection and supervision of private and public hospitals in the state. More importantly, HEFAMAA enforces compliance with the provisions of the law and ensures the authenticity of credentials of personnel and ascertain the appropriateness of medical equipment and instruments used in facilities. It is noteworthy that HEFAMAA is empowered to sanction erring facility by sealing such facilities, imposing fines or initiating arrest and prosecution.

    Commissioner for Health Lagos State Dr Jide Idris recently had cause to frown at the way health care providers train auxiliary assistants in their clinics and noted that many of them have been recruiting auxiliary nurses and unqualified personnel thereby endangering the lives of innocent people who unknowingly patronize these health facilities. He explained that the ugly trend has now degenerated to a state where some of the so-called the trained auxiliary nurses and unqualified assistants now go out and establish their own outfits claiming to be professionals and in turn breed other quacks. He stressed that such a trend could lead to a long chain of terrible consequences for the health sector if not decisively addressed.

    The Commissioner also cautioned registered health facilities who practice beyond the scope or schedule for which they are registered. He noted that a situation where a health facility which is registered as a Maternity Home engages in activities beyond the schedule of a maternity home is not acceptable.  While accepting that the private sector accounts for a high percentage of health care providers in Lagos State, he guaranteed that citizens can be confident that the government is closely monitoring the health care providers to ensure that only certified professionals are allowed to operate in the state.  He also restated that the commitment of the Ambode-led administration in ensuring a healthier and happier Lagos is unequivocal and indisputable and hence no stone is being left unturned in fulfilling the mandate of qualitative healthcare to the people.

    While citing poverty as one of the reasons people knowingly patronize quacks, Idris says the issue of out of pocket expenditure is being addressed through the Lagos State health insurance scheme to protect not only the poor but also to ensure all citizens can access or seek medical help without financial constraints. . According to him, the scheme which is mandatory for all residents of the state assures everyone who registers and pays his or her premium the right to patronize a fully accredited health facility whether private or public that is captured in the scheme.

    On the question of the ease with which qualified health care providers can be accredited or registered, Idris disclosed that the state government is seriously considering outsourcing some of the regulatory functions of HEFAMAA for increased efficiency. He also revealed that soon registration can be done electronically via a website that will be created for such and related purposes.

    To fully eradicate quackery, members of the public are enjoined not to patronize any hospital, convalescence home, maternity home, clinic, diagnostic centre or laboratory not accredited by HEFAMAA. Endorsed facilities can be known by the HEFAMAA logo placed conspicuously at the frontage. To further assist government in the pursuit of its aims in this regard, citizens are encouraged to exercise their rights by sending in written or verbal complaints to the agency. Reports or petitions on unethical practices or unwholesome clinical procedures can be made to the Office of Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) at the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja. These complaints or observations will be investigated and dealt with appropriately by the agency.

    The battle against quackery is one in which every well-meaning Nigerian must enlist. The next victim may be anyone or someone dear. Taking the bold step of notifying the appropriate authority may make a lot of difference between life and death.

     

    • Salako is Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Health.
  • NMA, PSN to tackle quackery

    NMA, PSN to tackle quackery

    •Doctors condemn attack on colleague

    The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) are set to root out quackery in the profession by deploying high-tech tools, its President, Dr. Mike Ogirima, has said.

    Speaking in Lagos during the NMA’s officials’ visit to PSN secretariat, he said every registered member with the Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) would be given a seal and stamp, with their names uploaded on the MDCN website.

    “The executives and the committee set up to just monitor and expose quacks will move and ascertain the authenticity of the seal and stamp. We will deploy instruments like POS for that, and once the stamp or seal failed to read then we know such is a fake, and will be handed over to the doctor,” Ogrima said.

    He said the exercise would commence in August. “The seal and stamp will be renewable over a period of time, so either they are used by the doctor or not, after the expiration there will be need for a new one,’’ he said.

    Ogirima said both NMA and PSN had vowed to bury the hatchet and focus on patient care and development of the sector.

    PSN President Alhaji Ahmed Yakasai and Ogirima said on resumption of duties, they agreed to pursue peace by looking at all the areas of discord, adding that the national bodies also agreed to work together.

    Ogirima said not only medics and pharmacists would be bonding for the sake of patients but other professionals, too. “A significant novelty match has been put up in Abeokuta to herald this relationship. So also will we play table tennis, Badminton, golf, and other games. This will show the harmonious relationship of all professionals in the health sector for the betterment of our patient. I have vowed that not in my tenure will I lead doctors on strike and till date no national strike has been called by NMA.”

    Ogirima said he gave kudos to the leadership of PSN for initiating the peace accord with doctors. “The issues that were in court between past leaders of both groups have also been settled out of court. We are happy this is happening in our time,” said Dr Ogirima.

    Yakasai said having known the leadership of NMA for over 32 years assisted him to broach the issue. “This is a new era and much can be achieved through dialogue just as the settlement out of court of the warring parties have indicated. They were even using personal monies to engage one another in the court of law. We are working on documenting and passing the framework for the harmonious relationship between all professionals, so that when we leave office others will know how to better relate as professionals based on mutual trust and deep respects for the sake of patient. And anybody can turn to a patient anytime, any day. We are coming together to save the situation,”  Yakasai said.

    “In the spirit of peace and harmony, with mutual respect, trust, collaboration and teamwork we can build a formidable healthcare sector we can all be proud of. As pharmacists, we are expanding our umbrella hence the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN) has allowed pharmacist technicians to be given admission to study pharmacy from 200 level. Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) has also ruled on that. We are making changes to reflect this, so we have Pharmacy law appropriation to replace Pharmacists law to give room for their own representative to be in the Council,” said Alhaji Yakasai.

    Yakasai decorated Dr Ogirima with a beautiful Medallion with the logo of Nigerian Medical Association and reiterated his belief in unity, collaboration, mutual respect and teamwork in the health sector for the benefits of the nation and the good people of this the country. Dr Ogirima appreciated the gesture, describing it as an act of generosity and the show of love of PSN and as well as described Yakasai as an ambassador of peace and progress.

    Meanwhile, Dr Ogirima has condemned the attack on one of his colleagues at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi.

    “For a soldier to brazenly beat up a doctor in the course of his duty is abhorred. If the armed man had had a gun with him, he would have shot the doctor. That is condemnable. I have talked to the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) Igbobi branch to call off their strike just as we expect the hospital’s management to take up the matter with the right authorities,” Ogirima said.

    He said every individual is expected to be civil while discharging his professional duties and, “under no circumstance should anyone be subjected to humiliation o even threat to life, as experienced by our colleague at Igbobi”,  Ogirima said.

  • CPN: Nigeria loses N2b yearly to IT quackery

    CPN: Nigeria loses N2b yearly to IT quackery

    The  Federal Government is losing N2biollion  yearly to unchecked activities of non-registered information technology (IT) professionals, the President, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Prof. Vincent Asor, has said.

    Asor who spoke yesterday in Lagos while unfolding details of the 2017 IT Professionals Assembly slated for this month in Abuja,  said money could be raised by the Council if each of the over 300,000 government workers performing IT jobs pays N6,500 to the CPN as annual dues.

    The theme of this year’s forum is: IT for Good Governance and Economic Transformation.

    CPN is a body under the Ministry of Education charged with the control and supervision of the computing profession in the country.

    It is primarily charged with responsibility of building-up local IT capacity as well as the regulation of IT practice in the country.

    According to Prof Asor, Leapfrogging National Development Using Technology; Transforming National Potentials for Social Empowerment and Economic Advantage through IT; Cyber Infrastructure Protection Strategies; Leveraging on Software to Achieve Transparency,Trust and Good Governance in Nigeria; Smarter Environment with Internet of Things (IoT); Fighting Corruption with Emerging Technologies, among others, are some of the sub-themes of the IT Assembly.

  • ‘Quackery, others cause building collapse’

    ‘Quackery, others cause building collapse’

    Building collapse in various parts of the country has been attributed to lack of professional planning as well as use of inferior materials, the Managing Director, Best Shelter, Mrs Folashade Salabiu Awokoya, said at the weekend.
    Mrs Awokoya, who identified adulterated goods and the penchant for people to take over professional job of building their individual houses without the technical know-how of building, for minimising cost, said these are catalysts for incessant building collapse.
    “People don’t think of the future; no research on the land they intend to build on; they are the engineers of their own houses; they lack the will to consult before beginning the foundation of their houses. These factors and so many others contribute to building collapse in this country,” she said.
    According to her, erosion problem should not have been a thing of concern at all, if proper planning and soil test were taken into cognizance before erecting building on any land.
    Mrs Awokoya asked: “The foundational cost may look high but is it not better than shoddy and stingy spending which would be costlier when the whole building collapses, especially when lives are involved?”
    She said the firm is determined to ensure that avoidable pitfalls that could lead to building collapse and its attendant loss of lives and money become things of the past.
    “We are doing this by enjoining members of the public to join membership of join Best Shelter Club where we engage services of qualified building engineers and professionals who from time to time, educate us on how to take care of our building from the foundational level up to finishing stages.
    “We are blessed with professionals and engineers whose skills have been tested, reliable and proved to be worthy of presentation as far as strong and time-tested buildings are concerned.
    “We provide services to civil servants, artisans, business women within and outside Ogun State. Our company renders simple shelter services. These include acquiring estate and landed property for our numerous members through monthly contributory system. We also produce quality blocks, paints, interlocks, and sales of cements to our members,” she said.

  • Reps order ministry, pharmacists body to eradicate quackery

    • Society advises members on registration renewal

    The House of Representatives has  mandated the Federal Ministry of Health and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to close all unregistered pharmaceutical shops and prosecute their owners.

    There is anxiety over quacks’infiltration of the value chain of pharmacy.This has resulted in increased fake drugs.

    In a statement, the House said it acknowledged the various pharmaceutical shops and the scope of their practice as well as the peculiar needs of each in terms of manpower, equipment and premises specification, expressing concern that some chemist shops are in some locations and buildings which lack basic facilities and, in many cases, are manned by laymen.

    “It is also common in cities and villages to see drugs displayed for sales in public places. Such public places include motor parks, open drug markets among others,” the House noted.

    Expressing worry that some “spiritual and healing homes masquerading as worship centres or charity homes operate freely as drugs and medicines dispensaries, while some local manufacturers of drugs and medicines use all sorts of rickety vehicles to advertise and sell their drugs and medicines”, the House noted that these unprofessional ways of warehousing, distributing and dispensing of drugs and medicines serve as channels for the infiltration of quacks into the pharmacy profession and a major challenge to public health.

    “The infiltration of the pharmaceutical practice by unqualified persons and the attendant unprofessional services being rendered by these people have resulted to the death of countless number of innocent Nigerians, not counting the economic losses due to the supply and purchase of fake, expired and unwholesome drugs and medicine”, the House lamented.

    The House mandated the committees on health institutions, and healthcare services headed by Hon Abbas Tajudeen, representing Zaria Federal Constituency to ensure compliance.

    PCN Registrar, Elijah Mohammed expressed gratitude to the House, saying the resolution came at a time the Council stepped up its enforcement. He acknowledged that the House’s position would strengthen the Council’s resolve to flush out the quacks and help to restore normalcy to pharmacy practice.

    Also, the PSN has urged its members to renew their yearly registration with the PCN.

    According to its President, Alhaji Ahmed I. Yakasai, PSN and PCN have put in place a  system to quicken the process.

    He said the procedures would entail all pharmacists and pharmaceutical firms fulfilling the requirements of regularising their documents, before they were issued their Clearance Certificates by their state branches.

    ‘’The Clearance Certificates will subsequently be used to obtain Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) scratch cards to proceed with registration formalities,’’ he added.

    He said they would pay a building fee of N5, 000 as ordered by PSN.

    He noted that at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of PSN, the National Executive Council NEC directed that the the body should claim its Pharmacy House in Victoria Island, Lagos State and all its properties in Lagos and Abuja.

    Yakasai enjoined pharmacists to pay their practicing fees, warning: “No registered person shall practise as a pharmacist in any year unless he has paid to the Council in respect of that year, the appropriate practising fee which shall be due every January.”

    He said it was important to inform members of the consequences of defaulting.

  • Association identifies quackery as cause of collapse buildings

    The Nigeria Association of Draughts-men (NAD) has identified quackery as a major cause of building collapse.

    The Chairman of the association, Delta State chapter, Chris Akeni, spoke at a workshop held at Oteri community, Ughelli North Local Government Area.

    He said the association organised the workshop to re-educate its members on their role in building construction.

    In a lecture titled: Preventing Unnecessary Building Failures and Collapse in Nigeria, the Role of the Draughts-men “,  Akeni described draughts-men as indispensable member of both the design built team in any construction work.

    Akeni, who urged engineers to be more careful and accurate in the pursuit of their duties, noted that their role in building construction is to make detail drawings which communicate all aspects of designs that are used to build houses.

    Speaking on the cause of the frequent occurrence of building collapse, the State chairman stated that they are caused by faulty design owing to inadequate or improper structural detailing and wrong specifications.

    While calling on the government to regulate the practice of draughts-men in Nigeria, he stressed that the profession is too porous and open to quacks thereby producing incomplete detailed working drawings.

    Speaking with reporters shortly after occasion, the Ughelli zone chairman, Mr. Fred Egbudu commended the State leader for organising the workshop for the purpose of retraining them on how to be more focused and the modern trend of the job.