NMA To Partner Enugu, Others Against Quackery

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State Branch, is set to partner the Enugu State Government and other stakeholders to fight against quackery in the medical field.
Such stakeholders include the State House of Assembly and State Executive, council security agencies, and other medical professional bodies in the State.
Newly elected Chairman, NMA, in the State, Dr Celestine Ugwuoke, made this known in Enugu, Monday, while speaking shortly after he was  sworn-in, along with other elected executives of the association in the state.
Expressing regret that medical quacks had caused a lot of damage to the profession, leading to the death of several unsuspecting people, he said, “it seems no concerted effort has been made to check this negative development”.
According to him, “medical quackery is a silent but devastating killer of lots of people and still killing, because people doing it have remained unrepentant after causing families to lose loved ones, while patients’ medical condition gets more complicated.
“I have witnessed a lot of unqualified persons claiming what they are not in health facilities within the State.
”Some medical professionals take up task or medical operations like surgery beyond their training; which is supposed be reserved for medical consultants in various specialised fields,” he stated.
The new NMA Chairman noted that the association would push further through the State House of Assembly to make a law with stiffer penalty against those engaging in medical quackery in the State.
Ugwuoke, popularly known as Dr Nice Man, said after pushing to pass the law, NMA would press on the government to establish an agency that would be saddled with the responsibility of fighting medical quacks.
“The agency will be made up of members from various medical professional backgrounds to make it all compassing, and then get rid of all forms of medical quacks and other unprofessional malpractices.
“Individual doctors, the NMA, and concerned citizens can do little without effective law, government and security agencies backing to fight these quacks to a standstill.
“I know the bitter experience some NMA members got trying to fight these impostors on their own and within two weeks in custody, the quacks find their way back to their nefarious activities,” he said.
He noted that fighting quack would not only sanitise the system, but also ensure government revenue as hospitals and health facilities would get duly licensed and pay renewal of license fees as well.
In the keenly contested election, Dr Esther Ekwe, emerged unopposed as Deputy Chairman; Dr Sunday Okafor emerged as Secretary and Dr Lilian Ezugwu as Assistant Secretary.
Others are: Dr Nelson Agbo Treasurer; Dr Patrick Nwachukwu Financial Secretary; Dr Ijeoma Charles-Ugwuagbo, Publicity Secretary; and Dr Nnamdi Ezugworie, who emerged unopposed as Social Secretary.
The newly elected NMA State executives would run the affairs of the association in the state for two years.

By: Canice Amadi, Enugu