Lagos agency sealed 103 health facilities in 2020 - Official

The Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has said 103 health facilities across the state were shut for non-compliance with regulatory standards in 2020.

This update was given on the official Twitter handle of the state government on Sunday.

Abiola Idowu, the Executive Secretary of HEFAMAA, disclosed this at a virtual meeting with staff of the agency on Friday.

“The facilities were shut down for infractions ranging from quackery, operating beyond schedule, lack of qualified medical personnel to non-registration of facilities and lack of basic equipment,” she said.

According to the official, some of the facilities had been reopened, having corrected the infractions and pledged to abide by set standards.

Other facilities will, however, remain sealed until they do the right thing, Mrs Idowu emphasised.

Newsmen earlier reported how 32 illegal pharmacies and patent medicine stores were sealed off in March 2020 for “illegal operation and operating beyond the scope of practice.”

Mrs Idowu said the state government is committed to fighting quackery and unprofessional conducts in the health system.

She added that the recent validation of the five-year strategic plan for the agency will go a long way in improving the quality of healthcare delivery to Lagosians through efficient and effective monitoring of health facilities in the state.

The official also disclosed that the agency has deployed the use of the Health Facility Inspection Tool (Health FIT), to enhance effective and efficient inspection and monitoring of health facilities in the state.

She warned that the agency will not tolerate any form of illegal health practices and urged all health facility operators across the state to abide strictly with the set standards to avoid sanction.

New health facilities in Lagos state are also expected to register with HEFAMAA before starting operations, to protect the health of the people and avoid sanction.

Mrs Idowu encouraged Lagosians to support the government in the fight against quackery and illegal operation of health facilities by reporting people behind such acts to the agency.