NMA President dissatisfied with delays in prosecuting quacks in medical practice

The Nigerian Medical Association has expressed dissatisfaction with delays in prosecuting quacks in medical practice arrested across the country with intention to deter others.
The NMA President, Dr Francis Faduile, expressed the dissatisfaction on Thursday in Calabar at the opening ceremony of the Physicians Week 2018 with the theme `Universal Health Coverage: Leaving No One Behind’.
Faduile explained that in spite of NMA’s effort in eliminating quackery in the medical profession perpetrators had continued to rise with its attendant consequences on the health of Nigerians.
Faduile was represented at the event by Dr Agam Ayuk, the NMA Chairman in Cross River.
He also alleged that previous efforts by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to prosecute suspects had been frustrated by security agencies saddled with the responsibilities.
According to him, the association has on record, cases where some state branches of the NMA raised alarm on the activities of suspected quacks and impersonators.
He, however, expressed displeasure that the states security agencies failed to intervene.
He said: “In spite of NMA’s effort at eliminating or at least reducing quackery in the medical sector, the perpetrators of the illicit act have continued to proliferate with its attendant consequences on the health of Nigerians.
“Another reason for the inability of the MDCN to tackle medical quackery-related practices is the inability of the Federal Government to constitute the council and its sister profession, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria.
“The NMA as a custodian of the people’s health believes that a sector that is not well regulated is prone to quackery and this has debilitating effects on the health of our citizens.’’
Faduile commended the Cross River Government for enacting the State Health Insurance Act in 2016 and the establishment of the State Health Insurance Agency as well as the Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
He urged the state Government to improve on the condition of service for health workers by implementing 100 per cent Consolidate Medical Salary with a view to help the sector in achieving universal health coverage.
Meanwhile, the police spokesperson in the state, DSP Irene Ugbo, told the News Agency of Nigeria that Faduile’s allegation was not correct in Cross River.
According to her the State Police Command has prosecuted a case of a fake doctor brought to it over two months ago.
Ugbo said: “Medical quackery is an offence against health practice, we don’t hesitate to prosecute such cases in our custody.”
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, said that Cross River was on the track of achieving universal health coverage through Sustainable Development Goals.
Asibong also told participants at the occasion that her ministry had inaugurated a team on fake drugs in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
She said that the objective was to eliminate cases of quackery and fake drugs in the state.
She added that the state government was currently building three referral hospitals across the state to satisfy the health needs of the people.