The Lagos State Government has stepped up efforts to tackle illegal medical practice, launching a statewide campaign to help residents identify and avoid unregistered health facilities operating across the state.
The initiative is being led by the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), under the Lagos State Ministry of Health, with a focus on public awareness, community engagement, and enforcement.
Speaking at a town hall and sensitization event in Lagos Island Local Government Area on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary of HEFAMAA, Abiola Idowu, represented by the Deputy Director of Health Education, Oladunni Omonike, emphasized that the campaign is part of ongoing efforts to protect residents from unsafe medical practices and enhance quality healthcare delivery across Lagos.
Idowu warned that even professionally trained individuals commit an offence if they operate without proper registration or regulatory approval. “Practicing without a license is illegal, even for trained nurses. Healthcare should always be received in properly registered facilities”, she said.
The Permanent Secretary also advised residents against seeking treatment from unlicensed private nurses operating from homes or informal settings, highlighting the life-threatening risks associated with such practices. She further urged the public to obtain medications only from licensed pharmacies and strictly based on prescriptions from qualified medical doctors.
