The Bayelsa Government on Tuesday said that it was ready to partner the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to fight quackery and other unhealthy practise in the state to help save lives.
The Deputy Governor, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said this on Tuesday, when Executives of the NMA, Bayelsa Chapter, paid him a courtesy visit in Yenagoa.
“This administration is ready to give all necessary support to check unethical medical practices that cause avoidable deaths in the state,” he said.
According to him, the state is concerned about the increase in traditional medicine practitioners who claim to have cure for every ailment.
The deputy governor said that the state government would come up with a legislation to check advertisement and sale of unverified medical claims and products to protect lives.
Ewhrudjakpo said that the desire of the government was to keep the people healthy enough to enjoy the prosperity it was working hard to create.
“I want the NMA to look inwards and come up with measures to fish out the impostors among you. You must be able to regulate yourselves.
“That is what we do as lawyers. Nobody will take your legal documents seriously, no matter how well written, without the approved seal.
“The NMA and other health regulatory bodies should take the fight against quackery a lot more seriously.
“On our part, we are going to make a law that will regulate the practise of traditional medicine here,” he said.
On the issue of multiple medical training schools, Ewhrudjakpo described the establishment of the Bayelsa Medical University and other health institutions as part of efforts to provide the much needed manpower to drive the health sector.
He added that the government would continue to take training of medical personnel seriously to improve the doctor-patient ratio.
“It will also evolve more ways of motivating them for better productivity and healthcare delivery.
“The doors of the state government will remain open for collaboration with the NMA in our quest to improve healthcare delivery for our people,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman of the NMA, Bayelsa chapter, Dr Ngowari Torunana, said that the aim of the visit was to find out how the association could partner the government to improve the health sector.
Torunana commended the present administration’s strides in the health sector so far, especially for sustaining the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme and the proactive measures taken to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chairman appealed for support in the fight against quackery, streamlining of state-owned health training institutions and improved welfare for medical practitioners.