ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Government has urged regulatory agencies in the health sector, including the Nigerian Medical Association, to fight against quackery and other unhealthy practices to save lives.
The state Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made the call when executives of the NMA, Bayelsa State chapter, paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa.
According to a statement on Tuesday by his media aide, Mr. Doubara Atasi, Ewhrudjakpo assured the NMA of the current administration’s readiness to give it all necessary support to check unethical medical practices that cause avoidable deaths in the state.
He expressed worry over the rise in the activities of traditional medicine practitioners who claim to have cure for every ailment.
He called on the unsuspecting public to be mindful of the harmful effects of quackery.
He insisted that the state government would soon come up with a legislation to check advertisement and sale of unverified medical claims and products to protect lives.
According to him, the desire of the government is to keep the people of the state healthy enough to enjoy the prosperity it is working hard to create.
On the issue of multiple medical training schools, Ewhrudjakpo described the establishment of the Bayelsa Medical University and other health institutions as part of efforts to provide the much needed manpower to drive the health sector of the state.
He maintained that the government would continue to take the training of medical personnel seriously to improve the doctor-patient ratio in the state as well as evolve more ways of motivating them for better productivity and healthcare delivery.
He promised that the state government would give the NMA a helping hand in the building of its secretariat, provision of official vehicle among other needs.
In his remarks, Chairman of the NMA, Bayelsa State chapter, Dr Ngowari Torunana said that the purpose of the visit was to seek areas of partnership with the state government to improve the health sector.
Dr Torunana commended the present administration’s strides in the health sector so far, especially for sustaining the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme and the proactive measures taken to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While expressing NMA’s willingness to partner the government to develop the state health sector, the chairman appealed for support in the fight against quackery, streamlining of state-owned health training institutions and improved welfare for medical practitioners.