From Felix Ikem, Nsukka

Dr Celestine Ugwuoke, the chairman Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has lamented the growing menace of quackery in the medical profession in the country, saying that the situation has caused untimely deaths of many citizens.

Ugwuoke, who is a Radiologist Consultant at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu said this in Nsukka on Monday in a chat with newsmen on the state of health services and institutions in the state

He said that for the medical profession to enjoy enabling and decent environment to operate that the issue of quacks must be dealt with to restore the dignity of the profession as well as guarantee the lives of the citizens in the hands of medical practitioners.

“Quacks in the medical profession are devastating and have caused death of so many unsuspecting citizens.

“Regrettably, some medical professionals are making the matter worse, this is so because some of them are taking up tasks or medical duties, like surgery, which is outside the field of their training and their operating license.

“Until something drastically is done many people will continue to lose their lives under the ugly situation.

“Imagine in a situation where a chemist is giving an intravenous injection to patients, and where a nurse is conducting surgery operation,” he said.

Suggestion a way out, the NMA chairman nited that efforts by the medical professional body to stem the tide in the past have not yielded the much-needed results due to some factors beyond their control.

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He however, appealed to the newly sworn-in Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mba to set up an anti-quackery crack team that would be made up of government officials, security agents, and representatives of all the medical professions to check the unscrupulous act and put a stop to it.

“If the crack team is set up it will go a long way in reducing the nefarious acts of quacks in the state.

“It would also ensure that only qualified people run hospitals in the state, and will at the same time improve the health care of Enugu residents.

Hospitals, health works, and other health facilities in the state would be properly licensed and their activities will be monitored regularly,” he said.

The chairman congratulated Mba for his successful swearing-in as the new Governor of the state, adding that Enugu residents have absolute confidence in him in taking the state to the next level based on his enviable records in politics and business.

“The emergence of Peter Mba as the governor is one of the good things that have happened to Enugu State because he has the potential and capacity to make Enugu State the envy of other states.”

Speaking further, the Radiologist Consultant urged federal and state governments to ensure adequate salary structure and welfare of medical practitioners to discourage them from traveling abroad to practice.

“If medical practitioners in the country are well-paid and taking care of, it would discourage them from leaving the country to practice in other countries of the world.

“Investigation has revealed that best medical doctors in Western countries are Nigerians, but they left the country because of poor working conditions,” he said.