NMA Nabs 30 Quack Doctors In Rivers

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), has disclosed that it has apprehended 30 quack doctors in Rivers State.

In an interview with The Tide, the chairman, NMA, Dr Ibitrokoemi Korubo, stated that the NMA was determined to rid the state and indeed the nation of quack doctors, adding that anyone apprehended would be prosecuted.

According to him, “the quack doctors we’ve found would be prosecuted, we have 30 quack doctors in 2013 and this is a large number of this number, six have been prosecuted, but a good number have taken to their heels”

We’ve tried hard to fight the issue of quackery, but quacks still exists, we still have along way to go but we will get there,” he continued.

Dr Korubo appealed that the public join with NMA to fight the scourage.

He said patients have a right to insist on seeing the practically licence and NMA identity card of any doctor attending to them to ensure they were dealing with a qualified doctor.

The NMA boss said that doctors have been mandated to display their practicing licences conspicoulsly for the public to sight.

The public must take their destiny in their hands, let me assure you that we will continue the fight, but the public must help us”, he added.

Meanwhile,   the Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Akin Osibogun, on Monday appealed to Nigerians  to report quack  medical practitioners operating in their areas.

Osibogun said in Lagos that quackery and other unwholesome practises should not be allowed to retard the progress so far recorded in the sector.

Osibogun said, “it is illegal for anybody who is not qualified to practise as a medical doctor to do so. “There is a law against it and many states of the federation now have facility registering agencies. “Like in Lagos, they have HEFAMAA (Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency).

“They (HEFAMAA officials) go round and if they detect any illegal hospital or illegal facilities, they seal off the place and they can prosecute whoever is involved in that practise.  “Also, the Dental Council is the monitor for that, but the Dental Council cannot do it alone. “It also requires you and other members of the public to draw the attention of the council to the presence of any unqualified person”, he said.

Osibogun said illegal health operators would expose the citizenry to health hazards such as needless deaths and high mortality rates and noted that apart from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), being the regulatory body to accredit and monitor health facilities, some states had set up other agencies.

Osibogun said that precision and utmost professionalism should be the watchword of the private operators in “this critical sector that thrives on protection of human lives’’.

From Left: Assistant Chief Nursing Superintendent, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (Atbuth) in Bauchi, Saleh Sani, examining an eye patient, Malam Umaru Dahiru, during Operation Goodluck Restore Eye Sight at Atbuth in Bauchi last Monday. Photo: NAN

Tonye Nria-Dappa