Ekiti NMA clamp down on quacks, illegal medical centres

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ekiti State chapter, on Sunday, says it has signed a pact with the state government for introduction of accreditation of health facilities to fish out operators of illegal medical centres.

The NMA Chairman in Ekiti, Dr Sunday Omoya, made this known at a news conference to round-off the 2017 Physicians’ Week and Ordinary General Meeting of the medical body.

He said the medical body regretted the activities of some unregistered medical practitioners in the state.

He added that such activities had been affecting medical practice and denting the image of members, saying “this must stop in the overall interest of health security of residents of the state.”

He commended the Gov. Ayo Fayose-led state government for implementing Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) for all categories of doctors in the state, noting however that the policy had not been beneficial, owing to the six months salary owed doctors.

Omoya said a total of 300 people were offered free medical treatment by doctors at Ipole Iloro in Ekiti West Local Government Area during the 2017 Physicians’ Week.

He added that NMA held medical education for rural dwellers on dieting, hypertension, HIV/AIDS and other ailments ravaging the people at the grassroots.

He urged government to pay members’ salaries and fund health institutions, particularly the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), to improve healthcare delivery in the state.

He noted that “we have set up a committee to look into the issue of quackery. We reached an agreement with state government on accreditation and re-registration of all health facilities in Ekiti.

“We are looking into the genuineness of health facilities to know if they go beyond

the scope for which they are registered.“If a facility is registered as a maternity or clinic or hospital, it can’t go beyond that scope but in Ekiti, some maternity homes are performing surgeries and this is wrong and dangerous.

“Defaulting facilities will be shut and the owners prosecuted accordingly.”

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He commended the state government for being among the five states that met 70 per cent benchmark in immunisation coverage.

On the issue of non-payment of salaries, Omoya said: “We are pleading that even if all the arrears won’t be paid, government should bring us as per with our colleagues in civil service.

“As we speak now, we are owing government six months salary, while civil servants are owed five months and this is demoralising doctors in health institutions.”