Anambra State Government has inaugurated Medical Support Services Monitoring and Enforcement Committee to end quackery in the system.
The event was held at the Commissioner’s office at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat Complex, Awka.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala while inaugurating the committee said that it became necessary because of the sharp practices noticed from laboratories andto ensure standard practices among healthcare providers
The Commissioner said the goal is to ensure that sanity is maintained so that people would have access to genuine quality care and assured them of the state Government’s maximum support, urging them not to relent in the discharge of their duties for the wellbeing of Ndi Anambra and Nigerians at large.
According to Dr Okpala, the terms of reference would be for the committee to move out from time to time to monitor the activities of privately owned medical laboratories and be able to advise on standard practice, correct procedures and make sure that there are standard operating procedures for each investigation as well as look at practicing licences of private practitioners so as to ensure they are genuine and current.
He stated that after monitoring exercise and advice, if there is defiance in the private practitioner, enforcement should be adopted to ensure quackery and fake are stamped out to the barest minimum and standard professionalism promoted.
According to him, people working in Government-owned facilities are not excluded from the monitoring.
Responding, Chairman of the committee, Mrs Obiageli Okeke on behalf of the committee members assured that they would discharge their duties diligently at all times.
The committee members are drawn from, Physiotherapists, Medical Laboratory Officers, Radiographers, Medical Record Officers, Dieticians, Dental Technologists and the Police force.
In attendance during the inauguration include, the Permanent Secretary, Mr Linus Nwankwo and Dr Ugochukwu Chukwulobelu, Director Medical Services.