Governor Chukwuma Soludo has called on the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anambra State Chapter, to support the government in eradicating quackery in the health sector. The appeal was made during the 2024 Scientific Conference of the Association held at the NMA House, Federal Medical Centre Onitsha.
The event also featured the fifth Emeritus Professor Festus Nwako Memorial Lecture, a grand reception for the immediate past secretary general of NMA, Dr. Jide Onyekwelu, and the Annual General Meeting of the association.
Represented by the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Doctor Afam Obidike, Governor Soludo highlighted the state’s closure of over 30 health facilities run by non-doctors, stressing that many innocent lives have been lost to fake doctors. He urged the NMA to help by conducting regular monitoring exercises at health facilities to identify and remove quacks, assuring the association of the government’s cooperation.
Dr. Jane Ezeonu, Chairman of NMA Anambra State, emphasized the importance of maintaining high standards in medical practice and healthcare delivery. Addressing the issue of quackery, she announced that NMA Anambra has launched a task force and started registering doctors on the NMA website, making it accessible to the public to verify medical practitioners.
Professor Roland Osuoji, delivering the Emeritus Professor Festus Nwako Memorial Lecture, underscored the importance of high-quality healthcare in improving life expectancy and reducing disease burden. He identified the “japa phenomenon”—the emigration of health professionals—as a significant challenge to achieving this goal.
In an interview with ABS, Dr. Frank Ifeanaeme, Secretary of the association, noted substantial improvements in the health sector, with increased accessibility to health facilities even in remote areas.
