Health

NMA, Edo govt partner to curb quackery

Miffed by the prevalence of quackery in the medical profession in Edo, the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), on Tuesday announced that it would be collaboration with the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHiS), and the general public to end the malady in the medical profession in the State.

Besides, the body called on the Edo State Government to ensure that residents of the state have access to affordable health care delivery, stressing that such remained the only panacea to protect the people from the activities of quack medical personnel and other cheap but unsafe medical administration in the State.

Addressing a press conference ahead its 2023 Annual General Conference Meeting and Scientific Conference (AGM & SC, the Chairman of Edo NMA, Dr Udoka Imoisili, said that the AGM is to commence assisting the State Government to institute modalities to get into a health insurance social contract with citizens of the state to reduce quackery and improve the health indices of the state, adding that the NMA was committed to ensuring that all indigenes have access to health care.

Imoisili, therefore, tasked the state government to reduce taxes on private medical practitioners in the state to make doctors stay in the employ of the state government and arrest brain drain.

She said the poor health indices in the state and the country at large were multifactorial and could largely be attributed to inability of the masses to afford health care, lack of good health-seeking behaviour and poor availability of health information.

“Out of pocket payment for healthcare services, particularly in the face of the current economic challenges, drives most residents to patronise quacks with the attendant untoward effects of preventable morbidities and mortalities. Quackery flourishes in the absence of a well coordinated and implemented health insurance to the detriment of the people, the healthcare practitioners, and the government,” she said.

Besides, she said Edo NMA had done an appraisal of the prevalent health challenges alongside the impediments to achieving universal health coverage and had saddled itself with the task of providing answers “to this hydra-headed menace of poor health indices and quackery ravaging the society.”

“We have committed ourselves to collaborate with the Edo State Government in developing a strategic plan and with actionable recommendations to reposition the health insurance pack (EDOHIS) in the hearts of the people.

“Providing permanent solutions to the health challenges of the people is not only the responsibility of the government, but collaborative efforts between government and stakeholders. As the custodian of the health of the most esteemed citizens of Edo state, it is a professional and moral burden on us in NMA Edo state branch to be at the forefront of this battle against poor health indices, quackery, and ensuring the best quality of health for Edo citizens. We are confident that, although the factors militating against access to good health in the state are enormous, they are very surmountable. We must pay the price now to emancipate the people with whom the government entrusted their health into our hands,” Dr Imoisili stressed.

She hinted that in a bid to check the activities of quacks and quackery, the Edo NMA might sponsor a bill at the State House of Assembly to ban advertisements of medicines on the media platforms, especially electronic media.

“Quackery in our communities has become an organised crime and syndicate that appears difficult to cure this cancer, ripping patients off their health and finances, with its attendant effect on the government.

“Edo NMA continues to stand up to the task of developing a framework to halt the growth of these serious health challenges by making health affordable and accessible. It has been suggested that increased access to insurance reduces the burden of diseases and quackery.

The NMA noted that out-of-pocket payment for health remained expensive for the vulnerable poor in society, and called for the implementation of health insurance by making an urgent social contract between the government and the people a legal reform that ensures all citizens of Edo states are enrolled in EDOHIS with ease.

“This will curb patronage of quacks no matter how they brand themselves. No citizen will leave where he/she can access “free” medical care to a quack. This singular act will promote good health-seeking behaviour, control to eliminate quackery and integrate health insurance into the attitude of the people.

“Currently, it’s mainly the public sector workers that have bought into the health insurance scheme,” Dr Imoisili said and urged the Edo State Government to raise awareness about EDOHIS to facilitate uptake by the informal sector in a bid to achieve good health for all in fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Edo NMA suggested.

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