By ChiomA Obinna

Association of Radiographers of Nigeria, ARN, Lagos State Chapter, has expressed displeasure over what it described as “quack radiography practice” in General Hospitals in Lagos State, amid allegations of attempts by the State Ministry of Health to commercialise the radiography practice in the state.

Decrying acute shortage of radiographers in Lagos State hospitals, the body observed that there are only five radiographers serving the 18 million people in the Lagos State-owned hospitals though there are about 400 qualified and registered radiographers, who the state government has refused to employ.

This development, it was alleged, is contrary to the World Health Organization, WHO recommendation of one radiographer to 10,000 patients.

In a chat with Good Health Weekly, Fatai Bakare, ARN’s Lagos State Chairman, said the development has put the practice and health of patients under serious threat.

Bakare, who alleged brazen complicity on the part of the State Ministry of Health in aiding and abetting quackery in radiography, cited the case of one Mustapha Afilowe, who was employed as an Imaging Scientists at the Radio.

According to Bakare, the law establishing registration of radiographers clearly makes it an offence for anyone unregistered by the Radiographer’s Registration Board of Nigeria to practice radiography in Nigeria. “How then can Lagos State Government allow itself to become involved in brazen illegality such as this?”

Bakare said from investigations, Afilowe is not a radiographer and is not registered to practice anywhere in the world and that keeping him in the radio diagnosis department amounts to aiding and abetting quackery.

“When we noticed the situation, we wrote to the Governor who also minuted on our letter to the Commissioner for Health. Of the series of letters we have written, we have only received acknowledgment from the Commissioner who promised to look into the matter but nothing has been done till date.

“The situation in the hospitals have degenerated to the extent that even the Chief Radiographer in the state who has passed the level of performing diagnosis now comes to the hospitals to carry out diagnosis. Recently, he physically collapsed in the process of attending

“Apart from the public hospitals, there is so much quackery going on in private diagnostic centres across the State in areas such as Ikorodu are the worst. Even Microbiologists are now performing ultrasound.

“It is so bad that members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists and Consultants of Nigeria have abandoned their syringes and bottles to practice on ultrasound and x-rays. They go to a place in Ibadan to train for two months and start practicing a profession that takes seven years to master,” he added.

According to Bakare, the implication of the trend is the perpetuation of misdiagnosis and wrong treatment. “If nothing urgent is done to stop this trend, it would exposed patients to so many problems that could lead to infertility or even death. Government hospitals should be where patients get cheaper treatment but despite the unqualified people doing the job of radiographers in the hospitals, ultrasound costs more there.”

He blamed the level of quackery in the state on non-inclusion of radiographers on the board of HEFAMAA. “Without the input of radiographers checking the level of quackery in the state will never be possible”.

He called on the governor to act fast and save the practice from total collapse. The association is also seeking inclusion of their submissions on the ongoing review of Lagos State Health Law.