Nation
LASG Shuts 40 Health Facilities In Six Months
The Executive Secretary of Lagos State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Dr. Abiola Idowu, has revealed that about 40 private Health facilities have been shut in the first half of 2023 for various infractions across the State.
Dr. Idowu stated this in her address at a one-day stakeholders’ engagement organised by the agency with the theme: “Combating Quackery in the Health Sector: Strengthening Stakeholders’ Collaboration and Regulatory Oversight”.
Speaking at the event held recently at Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, the Executive Secretary noted that in trying to combat quackery, it became imperative to involve relevant stakeholders in dialogue and proffer solutions, adding that the agency needs to foster its collaborations and partnerships to ensure the stakeholders understand the agency’s position and what they need to do in terms of compliance.
According to her, “There is a need to understand what they are going through and see how we can come together and ensure that health facilities have high standards, and ensure that these standards are culturally acceptable”.
She added that some of the infractions the agency noticed include improper disposal of medical waste, unclean environment and inadequate staffing with the right qualifications.
On her part, the Chairperson of the HEFAMAA Board, Dr. Yemisi Solanke-Koya, noted that the stakeholders’ engagement is a clarion call to end quackery in Lagos State.
“We need to understand the nature of quackery, build on regulatory frameworks, and enhance partnerships with relevant stakeholders in this regard. The goal is to have impactful results”, she said.
Solanke-Koya also used the forum to commend the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his giant strides in the health sector under the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda.
While delivering his keynote address titled: “Understanding the Nature and Scope of Quackery in the Health Sector”, Professor of Family Health, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and the President, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Professor Akin Osibogun, stated that quackery can be practiced by both professionals and non-professionals.
According to Osibogun, “Quackery is when a person in one professional cadre lays claims to the ability to perform procedures not within his or her professional purview, that person is aiming to deceive patients and by definition, qualifies as a quack.
“It involves a dishonest claim by someone claiming to be a health practitioner with qualifications he or she doesn’t possess”.
He said the only way to nip the menace in the bud is to minimise the activities of perpetrators through concerted efforts of agencies such as HEFAMAA and a proper code of conduct must be put in place to ensure accountability.
“More importantly, cure-all measures must be avoided at all costs to keep people safe while ethics of the health profession must be followed to the letter”, he stated.
He further explained that the main driver of quackery is consumer ignorance, desperation, unregulated health care system, while constant health facilities monitoring remains key to combating quackery.
The Lagos State Government was proactive in nature by setting up agencies such as HEFAMAA to monitor health facilities and ensure due process.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, represented by Dr. Olufunmilayo Shokunbi, Director, Medical Administration, Training and Programmes in the Ministry, said combating quackery is everybody’s business and urged participants to have fruitful deliberations.
The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, has reiterated the commitment to service delivery for pensioners.
Ejikeme said this during the Customer Service Week in Abuja, yesterday.
He said that commission had a mandate to deliver good service delivery to the pensioners.
Ejikeme, who was represented by the Director Civil Service Pension Department, Mr Kabir Yusuf, said that the customer service week was important to operations of PTAD.
“Customer service is the support that you give to a customer, whether it is an existing customer or potential customer in the process of delivering or making enquires about a service.
“To be a good customer service representative you need to be knowledgeable, have good attitude and attribute especially to the senior citizens and have empathy,” he said.
Ejikeme said that all PTAD staff had most of the attributes of a good customer representative.
“We provide excellent customer service by going to verify our aged pensioners who cannot do it by themselves anywhere across the country.
“There is a dedicated team that was mandated to go round to confirm the aliveness of those who can not confirm their aliveness either because the are too old or have health issues,” the executive secretary said.
The National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, said that the official theme of the 2024 customer service week was “ We Go Above and Beyond For Our Customers.”
She commended PTAD and the SERVICOM team for organising the 2024 customer service week.
“This is in line with the best practice of celebrating frontline workers and service takers.
“Customer service week is celebrated annually during the first full week in October.
It calls attention to the importance of people to boost morale team work and departmental collaboration in supporting pensioners.
“ It is a platform to reward employees for the significant work they do,” Akajemeli said.
She said that the objective of the customer service week was to celebrate the hard work and dedication of employee who strived to create positive customer experiences.
She said that it was time to show customers that the organisation valued their experience and feedback, through comment cards, dedicated hotline, among others.
Akajemeli said that it raised awareness internally and externally about the importance of good customer service in building customer loyalty and satisfaction.
She said that the benefit was to increase motivation, show appreciation, encourage friendly competition, boost employee retention, create a positive workplace and increase productivity.
The Head, Surveillance Department at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr Abdulrahman Saleem, said that good service delivery was the key success of every establishment.
Salem said that PTAD operated with standard, considering the success it had achieved so far.
Saleem said that pensioners required the best service attitude and behavior.
“ I give kudos to PTAD for its efforts and encourage it to do more.
“Therefore I urge PTAD staff to keep up the standard and continue to give good service to the pensioners,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has honoured Flying Officer David Sangokoya for winning the 2023/2024 Royal Air Force College Cranwell International Cadet Sword of Honour.
Abubakar honoured the officer during the presentation of cheques to 13 beneficiaries of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy (GPAIP) in Abuja, yesterday.
He described the achievement as ground-breaking as it was the first time an African cadet had won the prestigious award since the Academy’s creation over 100 years ago.
According to him, the feat underscores the excellence that exists within NAF, and proof that NAF officers and cadets can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.
“To our awardee, you have set a new standard, not just for your peers, but for every cadet and officer that will come after you.
“This accomplishment is a powerful reminder that no goal is out of reach when one is armed with dedication, discipline and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“Your journey as an officer has begun with this prestigious accolade, but the true measure of your success will be seen in how you serve, lead and contribute to the mission of NAF and the defence of our great nation.
“As we celebrate this historic occasion, we extend our deepest gratitude to the United Kingdom Government for its unwavering support in providing world-class training opportunities to our personnel.
“This has enabled our officers and men to gain invaluable skills and knowledge, strengthening not only our bilateral ties but also our collective ability to address global security challenges,” he said.
The CAS said that the NAF looked forward to continuing the fruitful partnership for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and UK countries.
He expressed gratitude and unflinching loyalty to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the welfare and training of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and NAF in particular.
“I must also take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the instructors who helped to mould and prepare this cadet for the global stage.
“Their dedication and commitment to developing top-notch officers is evident in this ground-breaking achievement.
“You have not only trained a leader but have given the Nigerian Air Force a legacy we will all cherish,” he said.
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated private sector involvement to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Director-General of the authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call at a high-level policy dialogue on sustainable health system reforms in Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that the dialogue was organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of private sector stakeholders, to address the multifaceted challenges plaguing the country’s healthcare system.
The dialogue has “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare” as its theme.
Represented by Dr Yakubu Agada-Amade, the NHIA Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, Ohiri explained the crucial role of private sector collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system
He highlighted the “One Plan” under the SWAp framework, which seeks to unify health sector efforts, ensuring efficient resource use, effective governance and expanded healthcare access.
He also stressed the importance of overcoming barriers that historically hindered the implementation of healthcare interventions in Nigeria, such as inadequate financing, weak governance systems, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He added that “the dialogue explored innovative approaches, including digital health innovations and financing mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of the National Health Act and mandatory health insurance coverage.
“With enrollment in health insurance growing by 14 per cent over the past year, NHIA can push for greater inclusivity, particularly targeting the informal sector through flexible payment systems and partnerships with telecommunications companies.”
He called for stronger synergy between public and private health actors to ensure universal access to quality healthcare and sustainable reforms in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Panelists from the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) and Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) echoed the sentiments, underscoring the private sector’s role in expanding insurance coverage and improving healthcare delivery.
They commended NHIA’s efforts toward driving reforms to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).
