Lagos govt bans auxiliary nurses

Permanent Secretary of the Health Facility Monitoring and
Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA, Dr Abiola Idowu, issued the warning on Thursday
during a sensitisation campaign and town hall meeting held in Alimosho Local
Council.

The event focused on the roles and responsibilities of
HEFAMAA in safeguarding healthcare standards across the state.

Represented by the agency’s Director of Research and
Statistics, Dr Olorunfemi Olonire, Idowu explained that the ban on auxiliary
nurses was introduced because their activities have caused more harm than good
to the healthcare system. She stressed that only qualified and licensed medical
professionals are permitted to practise in Lagos.

She urged residents to report unlicensed health facilities
and quack practitioners to HEFAMAA for appropriate enforcement actions, noting
that the state is determined to prevent citizens from being misdiagnosed or
handled by unqualified personnel.

According to her, the agency shut down 32 health facilities
between January and June this year for various infractions, as part of efforts
to ensure that only accredited hospitals operate in Lagos. Monitoring and
inspection teams, she added, have been deployed across all local councils and development
areas.

Also speaking at the event, the King of Shasha Kingdom, Oba
Babatunde Nasiru, called on HEFAMAA to address the poor attitude of staff in
public hospitals towards patients. He urged the agency to intensify oversight
of government facilities while pressing the state to properly equip and staff
them.

The monarch warned that unless the government improves
service delivery in its hospitals, residents would continue to patronise quack
practitioners. He emphasised the importance of HEFAMAA’s monitoring role in
ensuring that residents are not exposed to unqualified medical personnel posing
as nurses or doctors.