An agency of the State Ministry of Health, Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, (HEFAMAA) has sealed Vedic Lifecare Hospital for engaging unlicensed expatriates as its medical personnel.
The facility, according to the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr Abiola Idowu was sealed for engaging uncertified expatriates who have not been licensed to practice locally.
Explaining further Idowu said, “The facility was shut down for engaging three foreign doctors and a nurse with unverified certificates and without licenses from any professional body.”
She however stated that the closure of the hospital does not affect the in-patients already admitted.
She revealed that her agency is aware that some facilities are engaging Foreign-Based Transient Medical Doctors (FBTMD) who come into the State, stay for a period of time to provide medical care to patients and perform medical procedures following which they return to their respective countries.
Reacting, the Chairman, HEFAMAA Governing Board, Dr Yemisi Solanke-Koya noted that the practice raises consequential concerns regarding the regulatory oversight of healthcare in the State.
The concerns, according to her, focus on whether the facilities where the FBTMDs provide medical care are registered with and meet the standards required by HEFAMAA; whether the FBTMDs themselves possess the requisite credentials and experience required to practice the designated specialties they travel to the State for and whether the provisions made for the realm of continuity of care of the patients when the FBTMDs leave the State meet the standard of care.
The Chairman warned that hospitals in Lagos should desist from using foreigners whose certificates and licenses have not been verified by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
She however indicated that the Commissioner for Health in the State, Professor Akin Abayomi has directed that the Agency implement an FBTMD policy that will ensure that FBTMDs are approved by the Medical Dental Council of Nigeria to practice medicine in the country adding that such approval must be submitted and duly registered with HEFAMAA prior to commencing the practice of medicine in the State to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of Lagosians and hold the facilities engaging FTDMBs accountable.
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