Martins Ifijeh
The Ogun State government in collaboration with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has nabbed another fake doctor (named withheld) for aborting a six-month-old pregnancy, which according to professionals was life threatening.
This was revealed during the interrogation of the pregnant woman that he operated upon, by the State Ministry of Health monitoring team and executive members of NANNM, while monitoring the level of compliance of the re-validation /registration exercise of private health facilities at Akute in Ifo Local Government Area of the state.
The Chairman, NANNM, Comrade, Roseline Solarin, said the abortion that was carried out by the suspected fake doctor can naturally be managed by a professional doctor or nurses medically, adding that during the course of interrogation, the woman was diagnosed of hypertension during the pregnancy which could easily be managed by a doctor.
Commending the state government for taking bold steps in fighting quackery in the state health sector, Solarin said fake doctors and nurses were gradually taking over the profession, warning that anyone caught practicing without the prerequisite certificate would be shown the way out of the system.
“This particular suspect conducted a graduation ceremony for a fake nurse, an information which was given to us by some good citizen of the state, and NANNM is now fully ready to cooperate with the state government in the fight against quackery. Any nurses or doctor found practicing without the prerequisite certificate should be arrested and prosecuted,” Solarin said
Speaking earlier the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, said the services of unqualified nurses, doctors and other health workers in the state have caused a lot of havoc to the unsuspecting good people of the state, saying that the step was made necessary in order to safe guard the professions against quackery and reposition the sector for quality healthcare delivery.
The commissioner who was represented by the Deputy Director, Department of Hospital Services in the Ministry, Dr. Solomon Sokunbi, said the state would not be a comfort zone for quack doctors, nurses and science laboratory operators who have endangered the lives of innocent Nigerians, warning that any health facility caught operating with fake documents or not having the new approved signboards by the state government would be dealt with according to the law.
“I want to urge members of the public to always patronise approved health facilities that have signboards with the new colour and coded number, which can offer them better and qualitative healthcare services. The governor has mandated officials of the ministry to arrest and prosecute anyone found operating facilities with fake documents,” Ipaye said.
Seven facilities were shut down in addition to the 60 that were shut down last year when the exercise began, the facilities includes Accurate Diagnostic Centre, The Mantle Clinic and Maternity Home, Bliss Medical Centre, Fibiani Medical Centre, Christian Maternity Home among others.
