BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA

Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency,HEFAMAA, has explained that the agency is not a government agency that victimizes, or witch hunt medical practitioners. This was revealed at the 2nd HEFAMAA grassroot meeting in Lagos.

The meeting, which for the second time brought together major healthcare practitioners and stakeholders in the public healthcare sector, is geared towards sensitising healthcare providers to ensure improved quality of healthcare delivery as well as enlighten people at the grassroot to know and excise their right as it relates to healthcare services.

Addressing participants at the awareness programme, Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health,Dr. Yewande Adeshina, stressed that, “Contrary to misconceived perception, HEFAMAA ensures improvement in the quality of healthcare delivery services in Lagos State.”

Represented by Professor Kola Oyedeji, she added that, “ HEFAMAA provides correctional services. Which is why the agency doesn’t close up health facilities without several prior notice, defaulters would have been warned to put things in place, and once correction is made, no sanctions are applied”.

She observed that “medical related crime can only be determined by medical practitioners and regulatory bodies before the alleged suspect is handed over to the police. Law enforcement agents like Police is supposed to take crime related to medicine to regulatory agency like HEFAMAA and we determine those that should be sanctioned by their respective professional bodies. It is not for the police to go arresting owners of health facilities.”

She stressed the need to approach health related issues holistically. “When we talk of health, we talk about health providers and consumers. This meeting is meant for different stakeholders, especially the consumers.”

“We are reaching out to them differently; we are doing this sensitization in every district in the state, using mouth to mouth sensitization from community heads, educationist, and religious leaders. We are involving the young ones because we know that once they have knowledge they can exercise their right and influence their community”.

Also speaking Dr. Jimmy Asuni Executive Secretary, HEFAMAA, added that “apart from monitoring of healthcare facilities, they also educate people to know what they  should look out for and check in any healthcare facility.